Magnusson out - SC Magdeburg faces new personnel worries

The SC Magdeburg handball team is once again plagued by personnel problems. The Bundesliga club announced that backcourt player Omar Ingi Magnusson will probably be out for the next three months with a right ankle injury. The Icelander twisted his ankle during the 35:26 win against SG Bietigheim last weekend without any major external influence and had to be carried off the pitch.

"That was extreme, of course," said SCM Head Coach Bennet Wiegert, who visited his player in hospital on Sunday evening. Meanwhile, comprehensive diagnostics had revealed no need for an operation. "The next few days and weeks will show to what extent a sensible replacement can be found in the short term," managing director Marc-Henrik Schmedt was quoted as saying in a statement. Wiegert, however, tends to "want to solve this internally".

Position partner Albin Lagergren is therefore particularly challenged, while Magnusson joins the long-term injured Felix Claar and Tim Hornke. In addition, German international Philipp Weber is currently unavailable due to a muscle injury in his right thigh, as are the injured players Matthias Musche, Magnus Saugstrup and Michael Damgaard.

Squad needs "something special"

With two top games ahead of them, the absence is all the more untimely. In the Champions League, the club from the city on the Elbe will host HBC Nantes on Wednesday (20:45, Dyn, Dazn), against whom they lost the first leg 28:32 in front of their home crowd in October. The top game in the Bundesliga then comes on Sunday at Füchse Berlin (6:00 p.m./Dyn), against whom the champions and cup winners lost 30:32 in the Supercup at the start of the season.

"Anyone who knows us knows that the situation won't stop us from seriously fighting for points. That wouldn't do the team justice," said Wiegert, who was recently able to turn the tide with his team after four defeats in a row and not only celebrated a clear victory against Bietigheim, but also picked up two points against FC Barcelona. "The squad might need something special now, but if anyone can do that, it's us."