St. Pauli midfielder James Sands will be unavailable for selection for an indeterminate time period, having undergone surgery on his ankle after sustaining a complex injury on Matchday 22.

Sands limped off the field in injury time of St. Pauli's 1-0 defeat at the hands of Freiburg on Matchday 22. The on-loan USMNT midfielder had made just seven appearances before suffering what the club has labelled a "complex ankle injury", after falling awkwardly following an aerial duel.

A post on social media from Sands' parent club New York City FC confirmed the nature of the injury, emphasising that he will be out for an extensive period of time. 

The statement reads: “James Sands has undergone surgery to repair a complex ankle injury involving a fractured fibula and torn medial collateral ligament."

"Sands sustained the injury shortly before the final whistle of FC St. Pauli’s match against SC Freiburg. The midfielder underwent surgery at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany and will be out indefinitely."

"Everyone at the club wishes you all the best in your recovery, Jimmy. NYC is with you.”

Watch: St. Pauli 0-1 Freiburg - highlights 

About the players

6

James Hoban

Sands

FC St. Pauli

Want more Bundesliga Action?

GET THE UPDATES!

St. Pauli head coach Alexander Blessin spoke about the incident after the game, saying: “It looks really bad. At first I thought it was his knee. But he lost his balance and landed with his full weight on his ankle.”

With a tough run of fixtures ahead including trips to Mainz and Wolfsburg and a home game against Dortmund, Blessin will be hoping that his squad will be able to fill the hole left by Sands, who had begun to establish himself at the heart of the Pauli midfield since joining in the winter transfer window.

Additionally, with his loan set to expire in the summer, it remains to be seen whether the USMNT midfielder will play again at the Millentor-Stadion.

About the clubs

FC St. Pauli

Millerntor-Stadion