display
Berlin (dpa) - The German national handball team has to do without Füchse professional Paul Drux at the Olympic qualification tournament in Berlin.
The 26-year-old back player is injured.
As the German Handball Federation announced on Tuesday evening, Drux brought with him an external meniscus damage in his left knee from the Füchse Berlin Bundesliga match at TUSEM Essen.
The injury was only noticed during the preparatory course.
Drux is to be operated on this Wednesday in the Martin Luther Hospital in Berlin-Wilmersdorf.
"I'm very sorry for Paul," said national coach Alfred Gislason: "His failure is a real shame for our national team."
The fact that 19 players had been nominated for the course was "a bit of luck in misery".
He would have loved to help the team, commented Drux: “Now all I have to do is keep my fingers crossed.
After the operation, I invest all my energy to get back on the field as soon as possible. "
The German team will face World Cup second Sweden in the Max-Schmeling-Halle on Friday, and the day after that against European Championship fourth Slovenia.
Africa representative Algeria is the opponent in the battle for the Olympics on Sunday.
The first two teams in the group get the ticket.
display
How long Drux will be out was initially open.
In a message from Füchse Berlin, coach Jaron Siewert said: “The news came as a surprise to us too.
It is a bitter loss if the captain and such an important player are absent, also because important games in the league as well as in the European Cup are pending. "
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210309-99-755904 / 2
Message