VfB Stuttgart's Bundesliga survival hopes have been dealt a blow with defender Benjamin Pavard ruled out for the rest of the year through injury.
Pavard picked up a thigh strain in Stuttgart's 3-0 defeat at Borussia Mӧnchengladbach on Matchday 14, and the club have now confirmed the France international will not return to action until the New Year.
It was a particularly forgettable outing for the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, who injured himself when conceding an own goal in the 84th minute. Stuttgart had already made their three changes and had a man sent off at that point, but Pavard was still forced to hobble off despite trying to battle through the pain.
"We wanted to get him off before, but he didn't want to let the team down,” explained sporting director Michael Reschke. The 22-year-old will now miss Stuttgart's final three games of 2018, against Hertha Berlin, Wolfsburg and Schalke.
It was a miserable evening all round for Stuttgart and coach Markus Weinzierl, who also lost Dennis Aogo and Andreas Beck to injury. VfB even finished the game with nine men, as Erik Thommy was dismissed for a second bookable offence just before Pavard's own goal.
"If we hadn't had to make two changes already, more would have been possible," lamented the VfB coach.
The result leaves Stuttgart 16th in the table, nestled between Nuremberg and Hannover in the relegation play-off place, and just a point above the drop zone.
Die Roten welcome Hertha to the Mercedes-Benz Arena next Saturday, knowing a win could see them leap out of the relegation places.
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