RB Leipzig must do without Xavi Simons

RB Leipzig will be without key player Xavi Simons for several weeks. The playmaker suffered a ligament injury to his left ankle in the Champions League against Liverpool FC and will not be available to the Saxons for a long time. It remains to be seen whether the 21-year-old will even require surgery.

Simons twisted his ankle after just over 70 minutes of the 0:1 draw and initially remained on the pitch. It was not until the 78th minute that the Dutch international was substituted and had to be supported by two supporters. On Saturday against SC Freiburg (3.30pm/Sky), Simons could be replaced by Christoph Baumgartner.

Third injured regular

Coach Marco Rose had already described a potentially lengthy absence for Simons as a "loss of substance" shortly after the final whistle. Rose currently has to replace regular players Xaver Schlager (cruciate ligament) and David Raum (syndesmosis) due to ligament injuries. Nicolas Seiwald is also not fit for action. Lukas Klostermann missed the Liverpool game, but his gastrointestinal problems should not put the international out of action long-term.

In contrast to the Bundesliga, things are not going well at all for Leipzig in the new Champions League format. After three games, the Saxons are still on zero points, while only five of the 36 other teams have no points either. With five games left to play, Leipzig are under pressure at Celtic Glasgow in two weeks' time.