Schlotterbeck Ruled Out for 8 Weeks as Germany’s World Cup Defense Crisis Deepens

Germany’s World Cup campaign has taken a major hit after Borussia Dortmund center-back Nico Schlotterbeck tore a left ankle ligament vs Ivory Coast on June 20 (Group E). The 26-year-old is expected to miss at least eight weeks, a timeline that almost certainly rules him out for the rest of the tournament. The injury occurred early in the first half in Toronto. Schlotterbeck went into a challenge with Amad Diallo and continued playing until halftime, but medical staff decided he could not continue. Antonio Rüdiger replaced him at halftime. The suspected diagnosis is medial collateral ligament damage to Schlotterbeck’s left ankle, with further imaging planned to confirm severity. After the match, Julian Nagelsmann said: “Nico is suspected to have sustained a ligament injury. It’s not looking good.” This follows a difficult injury history: Schlotterbeck previously had a meniscus tear in the 2024/25 season and additional muscular problems that interrupted his availability for Dortmund. From a tactical perspective, Schlotterbeck and Rüdiger had built a solid central-defensive partnership. With Schlotterbeck sidelined early, Germany will have to adjust repeatedly across every remaining Group E match and any potential knockout games. An eight-week minimum absence starting in late June likely places his earliest return around late August—potentially overlapping with the Bundesliga restart.