1. FC Köln suffered two severe blows in the neck after the 1-1 draw against Heidenheim. Luca Waldschmidt and Davie Selke will be out for weeks.
They were the great hope at 1. FC Köln for 2024: In particular, the offensive veterans Mark Uth, Luca Waldschmidt and Davie Selke were supposed to revive the billy goats’ low-scoring storm. After two weeks in the new year it is clear: all three attackers are injured.
Mark Uth had already left the team after the friendly against Rot-Weiss Essen with a knee injury. In the final training session before the duel against Heidenheim, Waldschmidt also had to go to the dressing room early – and the diagnosis published on Sunday is quite a shock: the 27-year-old’s fibula is broken.
How long will Waldschmidt and Selke really be out?
Waldschmidt will therefore be out for “several weeks”, as the club announced. The exact prognosis depends on the healing process, but one thing is clear: Waldschmidt will no longer be able to put any weight on his leg, will lose muscle and therefore fitness over several weeks and will have to laboriously rebuild it. This means that the attacker will probably not return to the pitch until spring.
But it didn’t stop there on Sunday: just three quarters of an hour after the bad news about Waldschmidt came the bad news: Davie Selke would also be out for “several weeks”. The center forward complained of pain in his left foot after the game against Heidenheim. The billy goats did not give an exact diagnosis, but the club nevertheless confirmed the long-term failure.
Storm distress on the weakest offensive team in the league
The year couldn’t have started any worse for FC. FC finished the first half of the season on Saturday as the weakest offensive team in the Bundesliga with only eleven goals scored. Now Selke, the best goalscorer of the season (five goals), is out, and because the billy goats are not allowed to sign new players due to the transfer ban, the existing squad has to make up for the losses.
This is not just a bitter setback for FC. In the offensive that changed after the separation from coach Steffen Baumgart, successor Timo Schultz actually planned either Uth or Waldschmidt as the second point alongside Selke. Alternatively, one of the two should also be considered as an additional playmaker behind them. The FC coach can now put that out of his head for weeks.
Uth is also missing until February
Because Uth will not return until February. Schultz had already announced this during the week. It will take “two to three weeks” before Uth is back on the pitch. Which means he will be ready for action again before Selke and certainly before Waldschmidt. If Florian Kainz were also out – he was substituted on Saturday with a thigh problem – the Billy Goats’ entire first offensive would be out of action.
The alternatives for Selke are Steffen Tigges, Florian Dietz and Damion Downs, none of whom have yet proven themselves at Bundesliga level. Jan Thielmann, who was strong on Saturday, as well as Linton Maina and Justin Diehl are available as second leaders. Sargis Adamyan, who failed at FC under Baumgart, could now have another chance.
Ljubicic’s return as a ray of hope
And then there is Dejan Ljubicic: Although the Austrian is not an attacker, he has played in more attacking positions and is also an option for the front rows due to his speed and finishing skills. He was missing from the squad against Heidenheim because he had previously sat out due to illness. Now the midfielder should immediately become an option and offer Schultz more options. At the very front of the attack center, however, the personnel situation is becoming increasingly thinner – and will not improve any time soon.