On loan Liverpool defender Sepp van den Berg has been ruled out until 2023 after suffering a serious ankle ligament injury.
The 20-year-old was stretched in the second half as Schalke were beaten 3-2 by Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
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Van den Berg was badly injured in Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Schalke
Van den Berg, who has made three appearances for the German side since his transfer, was taken to hospital shortly afterwards.
The Dutchman tried to block a Mergim Berisha shot but suffered a nasty ankle injury in the process.
Schalke shared in a Tweeter“Sepp van den Berg is on his way to hospital with a suspected ankle injury. We’re crossing our fingers for you, Sepp!
The club then issued an update confirming he would be out until next year.
A statement read: “Two players were injured in the 3-2 loss to FC Augsburg on Sunday 2 October.
“Sepp van den Berg has been diagnosed with a serious ligament injury, while Rodrigo Zalazar suffered a metatarsal fracture during the game against Fuggerstädtern.
“Injuries mean both players will be unavailable for the remainder of Schalke’s competitive games this calendar year.”
The 20-year-old has already made four first-team appearances for Liverpool
Before joining the Bundesliga on loan, the centre-back made four senior appearances for the Reds after joining Liverpool from Dutch side PEC Zwolle in 2019.
He then spent 18 months on loan at Preston North End, making 66 appearances in total.
Returning to Merseyside this summer, he opted against a return to the Championship in favor of a move to Germany.
In an interview with ELF Voetbal in his native Netherlands, Van den Berg admitted he felt the need to test himself above the Championship.
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Van den Berg won’t play football again until 2023
“Over the last year and a half I have gained a lot of experience at Preston,” he said.
“Just look at my shoulders. I gained 10 kilos, just muscle mass!
“Another year in the Championship was not my preference. I spoke with Burnley, but I still wanted a notch higher. The Bundesliga was my preference.
The Dutch Under-21 star, who signed a new contract at Anfield in August until 2026, is hoping for a quick recovery as he aims to break into Jurgen Klopp’s side next season.
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