Anthony Onifade

Tue 14 November 2023 20:10, UK

Leeds United loanee Robin Koch suffered an injury setback during Eintracht Frankfurt training and there’s a chance he could be out until the new year, according to Frankfurter Rundschau.

The German news outlet (14 November) shared that the centre-back could be ruled out until 2024 and appeared to be “inconsolable” about the news, suffering a calf muscle fibre injury at an “inopportune time”.

It’s believed that Frankfurt do not know how long he’ll be out and much will depend on how much structure of the tissue is affected and how good his recovery is.

The injury blow has affected his shot at featuring in the latest Germany squad with manager Julian Nagelsmann planning to call him up for this month’s internationals had he not been injured.

Blow

Koch has spent the opening stages of the season on loan at the Bundesliga club and has even captained the side, with his Elland Road contract up at the end of the campaign.

The 27-year-old has actually made some fantastic progress for Frankfurt, featuring in 10 Bundesliga games so far this campaign and even placing himself in the thoughts of Nagelsmann for the Germany squad.

However, this development certainly comes as a blow to the defender and Frankfurt who as reported by Frankfurter Rundschau (14 November), have looked shaky in the two games he’s missed since the injury.

When Leeds decided to allow Koch to leave on loan in the summer, they were well aware that his contract with the Whites would be expiring and therefore will have been prepared for his eventual departure as the odds of him signing a new deal always looked slim.

It remains unlikely that this injury development will hamper his reported permanent move (Sport1, 1 November) to the German outfit but it certainly damages his chances of impressing Nagelsmann ahead of the European Championships in June 2024, as there is no timeframe for his return.

In other Leeds news, injured ace suffers setback in recovery from injury.