Setback in the fight to stay in the league
Torn cruciate ligament: St. Pauli loses next regular player
April 23, 2026 – 11:40 a.mReading time: 1 min.
Offensive man Mathias Pereira Lage is missing for a long time. For Kellerkind St. Pauli, the loss comes at a particularly bad time.
FC St. Pauli has to do without another regular player in the relegation battle. Striker Mathias Pereira Lage suffered a complex knee injury during training – including a torn cruciate ligament. The 29-year-old has already undergone surgery and is unlikely to play again this calendar year.
The French-born Portuguese was injured during training on Wednesday. On Thursday his club confirmed the fears. At the start of the season, Pereira Lage moved from French first division club Stade Brest to Hamburg.
Another regular player, James Sands, is already out injured. The American suffered a torn syndesmosis. Just before the basement duel against bottom-placed 1. FC Heidenheim on Saturday (3:30 p.m., in the live ticker on t-online), St. Pauli is threatened with another failure: Defense chief Eric Smith was set back by a virus after recovering from a calf injury.