RB Leipzig signing Hannes Wolf suffered a horrendous leg injury while playing for Austria against Serbia in the Under-21 European Championships on Monday evening.
The forward, who started the match on the left wing but is adept across the frontline, is scheduled to complete move from Red Bull Salzburg to Leipzig on July 1, after the two clubs agreed a deal back in January.
But he will have to wait a long time for his Bundesliga debut after suffering a shattering leg break in the second half against Serbia.
Wolf had given his side the lead in the first half with a tap-in, but his participation in the match was cruelly brought to an end after a tackle by Vukasin Jovanovic with 15 minutes to go.
The 20-year-old skipped away from the Bordeaux defender with a clever backwards header, only to be scythed him down by his opponent.
Swedish referee Andreas Ekberg initially only booked the defender, but then showed the Serb a straight red card after being advised to review the decision by VAR.
The red card appeared a harsh call but the challenge left Wolf with a nasty injury as his leg was caught underneath his body, resulting in what looked like a compound fracture.
Wolf, he starred in Salzburg's eye-catching UEFA Youth League-winning team in 2017, was recruited after a long pursuit by former director of sport and current Leipzig head coach Ralf Ragnick.
'Hannes caught our attention due to his prominent development, which is reflected in his numerous national and international outings, in spite of his young age,' Rangnick said in January.
'His strengths make him a versatile option across the attacking midfield. I'm delighted he's decided to take the next step in his career with us here.'
Austria went on to score directly from the free-kick as Sascha Horvath whipped a cross-shot into the back of the net.
Ten-man Serbia, who were led by Real Madrid new boy Luka Jovic up front, were unable to find a way back into the match and suffered a shock defeat in Trieste, Italy.
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DarkStar01
0
It wasn’t the other person’s fault, i think he twisted it on his own.
seems so
BlueBlackSnake
5
It wasn’t the other person’s fault, i think he twisted it on his own.
Cumiknos
1
Get well soon bro
Evans0323
0
Oh... I am sorry bro, get well soon champion
loneavenger
5
Get well soon... That's not looking good😒
Stephensna11
3
May God be with you and heal you quickly 🙏🙏😔😔
pizeikny
3
hope you are fine
message
6
This is why they are stamping out sliding challenges from behind as players cannot defend themselves from those type of challenges. I hope that defender got a straight red for that.
inevitable
3
Pity the kid really... Btw, with brilliant Germany doctors around, I think he will recover faster then anyone else, good luck!
foreverfor
2
Wishes to you for a speedy recovery. Looks painful!
izzuet
3
Slide tackles from behind should warrant an automatic 7 game ban. There's no way for a player to avoid it if the don't see it coming.
isolationh
1
That looked horrific! Hope the lads gets back on his feet and can continue his career.
lingba
1
poor kid looks awful wishing him a speedy recovery
Edoo87
3
Ooooh get well soon
Barca_123
2
That sucks for him I hope he can recover because he looks like a great player