Brøndby hit by Bagger blow
Saturday, November 1, 2003
Article summary
Brøndby IF striker Ruben Bagger has been ruled out of both UEFA Cup second-round games with FC Schalke 04.
Article body
Brøndby IF will be without Ruben Bagger for the rest of the year, ruling the striker out of both games against FC Schalke 04 in the second round of the UEFA Cup.
Ankle injury
The 31-year-old forward picked up an ankle injury in Wednesday's 3-1 win against BK Frem, a result that preserved Brøndby's two-point advantage over Esbjerg fB at the top of the Superligaen. A scan subsequently revealed a fracture in the joint, meaning Bagger is unlikely to be fit again before the Danish league resumes again in March after the midwinter break.
New setback
"Ruben Bagger is most likely to have to undergo surgery, but we will know that for sure within a week or so," said Brøndby in an official statement. Bagger featured in only eleven league games in 2002/03, with his season severely disrupted by a knee ligament injury from which he had only recently returned.
German test
Having defeated Belarussian side FC Dinamo Minsk in the UEFA Cup qualifying round, Brøndby then secured 1-0 wins in both games against FK Viktoria Žižkov to set up a meeting with Schalke, the first leg of which takes place in Germany on 6 November.
