USMNT Star Weston McKennie Stretchered Off in Bundesliga Play After Dislocating Shoulder
U.S. men’s national team and Schalke defender/midfielder Weston McKennie was stretchered off the field during his team's 1-0 Bundesliga win against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday with an apparent shoulder injury.
The incident occurred less than 10 minutes into the contest when McKennie—one of the USMNT's top players—went up for a header with Frankfurt forward Bas Dost. Dost's left arm appeared to contact McKennie, causing the young American to lose balance on the way down and land awkwardly on his left shoulder.
He remained on the ground for more than two minutes before being stretchered off by paramedics.
"Weston dislocated his shoulder. He's still in the hospital," Schalke coach David Wagner said after his side's win. "It still needs to be decided whether he needs an operation or not. But he will definitely be out for some time."
Schalke has just two more league games, at Wolfsburg on Wednesday and home to Freiburg next weekend, before Germany’s almost month-long winter break begins.
The full USMNT won't play again until late March when it faces off against the Netherlands in a friendly. McKennie and other European-based players are not traditionally part of the team's annual winter training camp and friendlies.
McKennie has already missed time for Schalke this season, sitting out a pair of games in October due to a muscle ailment.
Last season, he also missed time after tearing ankle ligaments while with the USMNT.