In addition to the early exit from the Champions League, the Eintracht Frankfurt footballers have to cope with the months-long absence of their captain Tanja Pawollek.
The midfielder suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee in the penultimate group game against top favorites FC Barcelona (0-2), the SGE announced on Friday. After the return journey from Barcelona, the 25-year-old will undergo “operation soon”.
“We are very, very sad about the shocking diagnosis,” said head coach Niko Arnautis: “As a team, we will compensate for the loss and now play for our captain on the pitch.”
For Pawollek, it is the second cruciate ligament tear of her career, the first of which the Polish international suffered in her left knee in the 2021 DFB Cup final.