FC Augsburg will be without young defender Noahkai Banks for the foreseeable future. The 19-year-old U21 international suffered a lateral ligament injury in his right knee while on international duty and is set for a spell on the sidelines.
The centre-back picked up the injury last Wednesday during Germany U21's European Championship qualifying win in Malta. Medical examinations confirmed the diagnosis, leading the Bundesliga club to announce the setback. Banks has left the national team camp and will undergo his rehabilitation in Augsburg. The club stated that the defender was injured during that qualification match.
The absence comes as Augsburg sit fourth in the Bundesliga table. Under manager Jess Thorup, the team has shown a solid defensive record this season. Banks' injury creates a gap in central defence that will need to be covered in the coming weeks. The next challenge arrives on Saturday with a home fixture against Bayern Munich. The upcoming schedule is available in our fixtures section. The last meeting between the sides saw Augsburg secure an away win in January.
Background and full detail: dpa-infocom
