Niclas Füllkrug had barely played his first game for AC Milan when, according to reports, an injury stopped the striker at the start of the World Cup year. He will probably be out of action for the time being.
Niclas Füllkrug has only been an official AC Milan player for around two weeks, but according to Italian media reports, the striker has already suffered his first setback. The 32-year-old has broken his toe and will be out of action for the time being. There is talk of a two to four-week layoff.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Füllkrug will miss at least the Rossoneri’s next two games: Milan will travel to Como 1907 on Thursday, and Füllkrug “will almost certainly not be available on Sunday against Lecce” either.
Back in time for the top match against Roma?
However, there is hope that the striker will be fit again for the top match against AS Roma on January 25. Milan are currently second, just one point ahead (with one game less) of Roma in fifth place. According to the report, the date of his return will also depend on the treatment and Füllkrug’s pain threshold.
Other Italian media outlets, such as Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica, estimate that Füllkrug will be out for around a month. “Füllkrug already knocked out,” wrote Corriere dello Sport.
Injury in first start
The 24-time international moved to Milan at the beginning of the year in order to secure his chances of a place in national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s World Cup squad by getting plenty of playing time. In the past calendar year, the striker only made two appearances in the DFB jersey, partly due to injuries. The national team’s next fixtures—and at the same time the last training camp before the World Cup nomination—are scheduled for the end of March. On Sunday, Füllkrug made his first start in a Milan shirt—and promptly suffered the injury in the match against AC Florence (1-1). He had previously come on as a substitute on the day he signed for Cagliari and again the following week against Genoa. He is still waiting to score for the Lombardy club. In his appearances so far, however, he has repeatedly linked up well with fellow striker Christian Pulisic.
The broken toe is not Füllkrug’s first injury this season: in October and November, the former Dortmund and Bremen player missed several games for West Ham United due to a torn muscle bundle and was not even in the Hammers’ squad recently.