It was the 47th minute of the away game in Mainz, when Mario Gomez crashed to the ground in a challenge for the ball with Nigel de Jong. Unfortunately for the goal-getter, in landing he suffered an injury to his ankle. Mario Gomez initially gritted his teeth and attempted to continue, but soon had to accept the fact that the pain was too intense to carry on and he left the field of play in the 51st minute to make way for a fresh front-man. Daniel Ginczek filled the gap in attack and netted VfB’s late goal to make the final score 2-3.
As painful and disappointing Saturday afternoon was for Mario Gomez, there was some relief for the striker on Sunday morning. An extensive examination revealed a sprain to the ankle joint, however, without additional structural damage. Over the next few days, Gomez will have treatment on the injury and undertake an individual training programme. A return to full team training is planned for mid-week. Possible involvement in next Saturday’s home clash with FC Schalke 04 (kick-off 15:30 CET) is currently not at risk.