Jürgen Klopp Faces Early Setback with Ouédraogo Injury

Jürgen Klopp’s Germany plans have taken an early hit before he has even named a squad.

The new national team boss is preparing for his first set of Nations League fixtures against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia, but one of the brightest young options in midfield may already be out of the picture.

Ouédraogo injury sours Leipzig rout

Assan Ouédraogo, the highly rated Leipzig midfielder, suffered a fresh shoulder injury during his side’s 5-0 demolition of Hamburg on Sunday. He started the game but lasted only 35 minutes, forced off after a collision with Albert Grønbæk.

What should have been a routine, feel-good league win for Leipzig quickly turned into a worrying afternoon. The club now fear the damage is linked to the same shoulder problem that ruled the 20-year-old out for the whole of last August.

The timing is brutal. Klopp is due to announce his first Germany squad next Thursday, and Ouédraogo had been pushing hard to be part of the new era.

Demichelis fears repeat setback

Leipzig manager Martín Demichelis did not hide his concern after the match.

"I think it's the same injury. Things don't look promising. We need him. He is an amazing talent, both for Germany and for our club," he said, underlining just how highly the midfielder is regarded inside the club and beyond.

Injuries have stalked Ouédraogo ever since he arrived at Leipzig in 2024. The youngster has already spent more than 380 days on the sidelines, a staggering figure for a player of his age. Now, once again, he may be facing several weeks out.

For Klopp, it is an early reminder of the fragility of his talent pool. For Ouédraogo, it is another cruel interruption just as the door to the national team looked ready to open.