Leipzig lose defensive anchor for two weeks
Die roten Bullen will have to do without cornerstone defender Dayot Upamecano until after the international break.
Some of Dayot Upamencano's questionable play in the most recent Champions League fixture may have stemmed from the fact that he was playing hurt.
On Thursday the club confirmed that the 22-year-old French international suffered a "slight muscle rupture" and would have to sit out "10 to 14 days". the injury means that head coach Julian Nagelsmann will have to do without his defensive linchpin on Saturday against Freiburg. Les Bleus of France will also be unable to call him up for the coming international break.
Upamecano feautured in all six starting XIs of the young 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign as well as all three UEFA Champions League fixtures. During the 2019/20 campaign, he only failed to start in one fixture between the 5th and final 34th rounds.
The last time Nagelsmann selected someone other than Upamecano to anchor his central defense was an experimental deployment of Tyler Adams during the first round of the 2020/21 DFB Pokal. Even then, Upamecano was still in the lineup working behind the American on the right.