Borussia Dortmund's ace defender Nico Schlotterbeck is currently recovering from a ligament injury he sustained at the 2026 FIFA World Cup while playing for Germany.
In their second group fixture against Ivory Coast, the centre-back went off at the break and was later ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.
He's since watched his team lost out to Paraguay in a disastrous penalty shootout as Germany's campaign came to a halt in the Round of 32.
As the squad returned home, so did Schlotterbeck, and reports now suggest he will be sporting a special protective boot for the next four to six weeks.
He will be limited to only strength training at Borussia Dortmund during this period and is set to miss their pre-season tour of Japan from 29 July to 2 August.
Schlotterbeck will reportedly remain at the club's training ground to continue his individual rehabilitation.
Dortmund hope to have the 26-year-old fully fit again by mid-September at least, by which point it would be three months since he sustained the knock.
He will miss the entirety of their pre-season campaign, which continues against AS Roma and Arsenal following their return from Japan as well as some of their opening fixtures of the 2026-27 season.
Die Borussen officially kick-start their campaign against traditional rivals Bayern Munich in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup on 22 August, before the Bundesliga curtain-raiser against Hamburger SV a week later.
Schlotterbeck will miss both games, as well as their DFB Pokal first-round clash against HEBC and league meetings with Hoffenheim (a) and Paderborn (h).
With the Champions League set to begin the league phase from 8 September onwards, the German is likely to miss their opening game in the competition too.
If the player recovers within the time frame that Dortmund are hoping him to, we could see the defender back in action for the game in Stuttgart on 19 September.
In the midst of his recovery, Schlotterbeck's €50 million release clause validity is also set to expire. It runs for one week after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on 19 July for selective few clubs.
But the player won't be available for the starting few weeks of the new season, which is going to deter top clubs from pursuing him this summer.
Schlotterbeck was among the best performers for Dortmund last season, emerging as their reliable option in defense while also netting five goals to demonstrate his offensive qualities.
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