Bochum lose Asano for several weeks with ligament tear
Amid their coaching change and desperate attempts to turn their season around, VfL Bochum will be without their "Japanese Jaguar" for several weeks.
VfL Bochum confirmed on Tuesday that attacker Takuma "Jaguar" Asano will be out for several weeks with a inner ligament tear in his right knee. A specific return date was not given by the club, but one can expect the 27-year-old to be sidelined for some time with an injury the club said would be "treated conservatively".
The former Arsenal, Stuttgart, and Hannover winger/attacking midfielder had been one of the more important components in the team that avoided relegation last year in Bochum's first campaign back in the top flight. Asano started all six of the team's top flight league matches this year before bowing out early last Saturday in the loss to Schalke.
The 36-times-capped Japanese international might still fancy his chances of representing Samurai Blue in the coming World Cup. Asano last featured for Hajime Moriasu's national team during this past summer's Kirin Challenge Cup. The influential VfL actor is one of many current Japanese Bundesliga players surely eager to face the German national team in the group stages.
Wir müssen leider mehrere Wochen auf @AsaTaku29 verzichten. #Asano hat sich einen Innenbandanriss im rechten Knie zugezogen. Die Verletzung wird konservativ behandelt.
— VfL Bochum 1848 (@VfLBochum1848eV) September 13, 2022
Gute und schnelle Genesung, Taku!🙏#meinVfL pic.twitter.com/lHuecsZulG