Schalke’s Ouédraogo questionable for the U17 World Cup – Hechelmann: “He can only help there if he is fit”

Examination on Monday

With a market value of 6 million euros, Schalke’s midfield talent Assan Ouédraogo is the most valuable player in the German U17 national team squad for the upcoming World Cup in Indonesia. Whether the 17-year-old will actually take part in the tournament after his nomination last Wednesday is still unclear due to a thigh injury – the decision as to whether and when the right-footed player could join the DFB team rests with the second division team, which is scheduled for another examination on Monday announced.

“The official release period begins on November 13th and runs until November 21st,” Schalke sports director André Hechelmann announced last week with a view to Ouédraogo. It was said that the player would be able to take part during this time as it was clear about his injury. The U17’s first group game will take place on November 12th against Mexico, the round of 16 will take place from November 20th to 22nd, and the tournament ends on December 2nd.

The Royal Blues had already made it clear that they would “put the interests of the club first” with a view to the upcoming games against Elversberg, Düsseldorf and Osnabrück – after all, youngster Ouédraogo was one of the more difficult players in the Gelsenkirchen game this season finding bright spots.

But now, to make matters worse, the 17-year-old is suffering from a tight thigh, which is why he missed the game against Nuremberg at the weekend. An MRI scan reportedly revealed no structural injuries, but on Monday, “PICTURE“-Information a new check will take place at Ouédraogo. The player’s release should also be made dependent on the result.

“He has to be fit, only then can he help there. We will examine him thoroughly and then decide,” said Hechelmann, who is in constant communication with DFB team manager Joti Chatzialexiou, to the newspaper.

Schalke’s new coach Karel Geraerts recently said about the value of the talent he was courting: “Assan is a very good footballer and a great talent, that’s for sure. I hear a lot of rumors about him, about clubs and interested parties, but that’s normal in football. For me as a coach, the most important thing is to have good conversations with him, make him feel good and guide him on his journey. One must not forget that he is very young. There’s a lot coming at him at the moment.”

Ouédraogo was also the focus of the market value update for the 2nd Bundesliga at the end of October. The S04 professional only needed two updates to become the most valuable player in the league. After the start of the season, he was initially valued at half a million euros, but now the valuation has changed to twelve times that amount: 6 million euros.

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