Report: Schalke's new signing sidelined for at least three weeks
North-Rhine Westpahlia's Ruhrnachrichten reports that it will be quite some time until new Schalke 04 signing Niklas Tauer can suit up in an official match for his new club.
FC Schalke 04's first January signing looks to be sidelined for at least three weeks. The long-term-loanee from FSV Mainz 05 had to sit out this past weekend's recent test fixture with a reported muscle fiber tear. Schalke still haven't confirmed the amount of time the 21-year-old is expected to be out, but NRW's Ruhrnachrichten reports that Tauer won't be available for at least three weeks.
As the Bundesliga prepares to resume with a midweek "Englischer Woche" ("English Week"), Tauer's absence for a full three fixtures can be confirmed. The defensive midfielder then likely won't be available to Thomas Reis until matchday 21 at the earliest. The Mainz-native had been considered a rather important part of Reis' tactical plans.