Weston McKennie is not expected to return to first team action with Schalke until Feburary 2020.
The club announced the news on Tuesday, two days after McKennie suffered a dislocated shoulder in a 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. McKennie started the match for David Wagner’s side, but was stretchered off after just 13 minutes of action. The injury came after a hard landing for McKennie after an aerial battle with Frankfurt striker Bas Dost.
Here’s the play Weston McKennie was injured on, looks to be a shoulder injury.
— Ives Galarcep (@SoccerByIves) December 15, 2019
McKennie has made 15 appearances for Schalke this season in all competitions, registering one assist. A versatile player who has been used in both midfield and central defense, McKennie’s absence leaves Wagner down one of his talented young stars heading into Wednesday’s match with Wolfsburg.
“We think of solutions, not problems,” Wagner said. “Resisting resistance is a hallmark of this team. “How the boys have dealt with these setbacks in the past few weeks is great.”
McKennie, 21, has also continued to be a regular starter for the U.S. Men’s National Team, earning 12 caps in 2019. The next opportunity to represent his country will be in Spring 2020 with the USMNT scheduled to face the Netherlands in one of two March friendlies.
Schalke are currently fourth in the Bundesliga this season, winning 28 points from their opening 15 matches. The club finishes its 2019 schedule with a home clash against Freiburg on Dec. 21st, before heading into a three-week winter break.
I hope he heard his name repeatedly chanted by the fans. Based on their (and his teammates’) reactions, he is clearly well-liked