Mats Hummels, the German defender for Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, has been ruled out of action for the remainder of the season after sustaining an ankle ligament injury in their match against RB Leipzig on October 29th.
The 28-year-old had made just one appearance since returning from injury in early September, and was substituted off in the second half of that game. The severity of his injury is not yet known, but it could be serious enough to rule him out of the rest of the season.
Hummels has played a key role for Dortmund this season, starting all six league matches they have played so far, including the win over Leipzig which saw them leapfrog Bayern Munich into second place in the table.
His absence will be a blow to the team,Ligue 1 Focus especially with the Champions League group stage draw looming, and manager Lucien Favre will now need to find someone else to fill his defensive void.
Injuries can be a real setback for any team, and Hummels' absence is sure to cause concern among fans and supporters alike. But with the likes of Raphael Guerreiro and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting also unavailable through injury, there may be little choice for Favre.
Overall, the news of Hummels's injury is a reminder of how fragile success can be in football, and the importance of having depth and quality players available to rotate throughout the season. It will be interesting to see how the team responds to his absence, and whether they can continue to perform well without him.