Nuremberg - 1. FC Nürnberg defender has been ruled out for six weeks after picking up a knee injury during a mid-season friendly.

Pogatetz suffered a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Nürnberg's 2-1 friendly win over FC Luzern on Thursday - which also happened to be the Austrian's 31st birthday.

Coach Gertjan Verbeek is already without the services of midfielder for the start of the Rückrunde. The former VfL Wolfsburg player was due to undergo an operation on his injured knee in his native Japan on Friday.

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