Schlotterbeck ruled out of World Cup with ankle injury, clouding Liverpool's transfer plans

Nico Schlotterbeck’s World Cup is over after the Borussia Dortmund defender suffered an ankle injury during Germany’s 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast, ruling him out of the remainder of the tournament. The 26-year-old had started twice in the group stage and scored in Germany’s 7-1 demolition of Curacao before the setback ended his campaign.

Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann paid tribute to the centre-back, saying: “We’ll miss Schlotti enormously on the pitch. He’s an outstanding defender and his ability to play out from the back is exceptional. He could have played a big role at this World Cup. We all tried to lift his spirits yesterday and fortunately, he’s a very positive person who is already looking ahead.”

FIFA rules prevent Germany from calling up a replacement, leaving Nagelsmann to reshuffle his defensive options. Antonio Rudiger, who came on for Schlotterbeck against the Ivory Coast, is expected to step into the starting XI as Germany prepare to face Ecuador in their final group game, having already secured a place in the last 32.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Lars Ricken expressed sympathy for the player, noting: “I feel extremely sorry for Nico; he was in really good form and an indispensable part of our national team’s starting line-up. But Nico showed last year how he can come back even stronger after an injury. He’ll do the same this time too; we’re convinced of that.”

The injury adds a layer of uncertainty to Schlotterbeck’s situation at club level. Liverpool had been monitoring the defender as a potential replacement for Ibrahima Konate, who has joined Real Madrid on a free transfer after running down his contract at Anfield. Dortmund moved to secure Schlotterbeck’s long-term future in April, tying him to a new five-year deal that runs until 2031.

Schlotterbeck joined Dortmund from Freiburg in 2022 and has since made 161 appearances for the club, contributing 11 goals — five of them last season. He had earned 29 caps for Germany before his injury curtailed what had been a promising tournament.