Duo back in training – surgery for Paul Pöpperl and Emil Højlund

FC Schalke 04 began preparations for the game away to Holstein Kiel on Tuesday (9/2). Adrian Gantenbein was back with the group. The defender had to come off injured during the match at Hertha BSC and has now completed parts of full team training for the first time again. Janik Bachmann went through the entire session with his teammates after his workload had been increased week by week. Anton Donkor and Loris Karius trained individually.

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Adrian Gantenbein in training.

Paul Pöpperl suffers torn ACL

There was bad news for Paul Pöpperl on Sunday (8/2). The midfielder suffered a ruptured ACL during Sunday’s session for those players that didn’t feature on Saturday against Dynamo Dresden. The 22-year-old will undergo surgery on his right knee later this week. “Paul has worked his way up from the U23s to the first team in recent months and was rewarded with three appearances,” said Youri Mulder, director of professional football. “The diagnosis is incredibly tough to take. We’ll support Paul closely over the coming weeks and do everything we can to help him on his road back to full fitness.”

Emil Højlund successfully underwent Achilles surgery in January

After ongoing problems since August 2025, Emil Højlund underwent successful surgery on his left Achilles tendon in January this year. The forward has not featured since the away win at Dynamo Dresden on matchday 4.

“Emil has undergone extensive diagnostic tests over the past few months, followed by several medical measures. The goal was always to get him physically ready to play. More than anything, Emil wants to help the team out on the pitch,” commented Mulder. “After close discussions, we ultimately decided on surgery in January. We’ll give him the time he needs over the coming months to focus on rehab and then his recovery work, so he can come back stronger.”

FC Schalke 04 wish Paul and Emil a speedy recovery!

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