Schalke's Maximilian Wöber expected to miss rest of year with thigh injury
Wöber's latest setback deals blow to Royal Blues
FC Schalke 04 have suffered a significant injury setback, with Austrian international Maximilian Wöber expected to miss the remainder of the calendar year. The 28-year-old defender sustained a thigh injury during Tuesday's training session, adding another lengthy absence to a career repeatedly disrupted by fitness issues.
Schalke initially confirmed the injury on Thursday morning without specifying an anticipated recovery period. Speaking at his pre-match press conference later in the day, head coach Miron Muslic offered a considerably more pessimistic assessment.
"In all likelihood, he won't return this calendar year," Muslic remarked.
A comeback painstakingly rebuilt
The news represents another bitter setback for Wöber, who had only recently spoken enthusiastically about putting his injury problems behind him. The former Leeds United defender joined newly promoted Schalke on a free transfer during the summer, hoping to rebuild his Bundesliga career following two difficult seasons.
Wöber has featured in all six of Schalke's Bundesliga fixtures thus far, making five appearances from the bench and earning his first start during the recent 2-1 defeat against SC Freiburg. His most memorable contribution came in September, when he scored the decisive goal in Schalke's 3-1 away victory over Union Berlin.
Introduced late in the second half primarily to reinforce Schalke's defensive structure, the Austrian helped protect a narrow advantage as Union attempted to stage a comeback. After the hosts reduced the deficit to 2-1 in stoppage time, Wöber sprinted forward during a counterattack, arriving inside the Union penalty area to meet Hee-chan Hwang's low delivery. His finish in the 13th minute of added time sealed a 3-1 victory and Schalke's first Bundesliga win of the campaign.
Speaking to reporters at the Austrian training camp in September, Wöber expressed particular gratitude for Schalke's efforts to rebuild his fitness and confidence.
"I've been built up superbly," he explained. "I can now go full throttle and don't have to worry anymore about whether I'm training too much or too little. I feel very good and have 100 percent confidence in my body again. The negative thoughts are all gone now."
A career defined by disruption
The Austrian first arrived in German football during the 2023/24 campaign, making 25 Bundesliga appearances on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach. Although Gladbach were interested in retaining him, Leeds United's reported asking price of €10m to €12m ultimately prevented a permanent transfer.
After another injury-disrupted season in England, Wöber returned to the Bundesliga on loan at Werder Bremen in the summer of 2025. A thigh injury sustained during Bremen's opening-round DFB-Pokal defeat against Arminia Bielefeld began another lengthy spell on the sidelines. Wöber ultimately managed just three competitive appearances during the entire 2025/26 campaign. The situation deteriorated further in May when the defender suffered another injury shortly after entering Bremen's match against Hoffenheim, effectively ending his hopes of representing his country at the 2026 World Cup.
Leeds agreed to terminate the defender's contract in July, enabling die Königsblauen to recruit an experienced Bundesliga professional without paying a transfer fee. Wöber signed an initial contract through 2027, with performance-related remuneration and a reported appearance-dependent extension mechanism.
Injury crisis deepens for struggling Schalke
Wöber's absence also comes at an increasingly difficult moment for the newly promoted Bundesliga club. Die Knappen have collected just five points from their opening six Bundesliga fixtures, winning only once and failing to score in four matches. Consecutive defeats against Freiburg and Mainz have left the club hovering just above the relegation places.
In addition to Wöber's long-term absence, captain Kenan Karaman has been ruled out of Saturday's away encounter against 1. FC Köln because of muscular problems. Midfielder Ron Schallenberg is also unavailable due to a leg injury, while Dejan Ljubicic has not yet recovered sufficiently from a knee problem. Attacker Moussa Sylla recently missed the Mainz fixture with a muscular injury, further restricting Muslic's attacking options.
Junior Adamu is considered a potential replacement for Karaman as Muslic's team attempt to end their two-match losing streak. The Royal Blues travel to Köln on Saturday afternoon, with kickoff scheduled for 15:30 CEST.