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Schalke's Benedikt Hoewedes remains sidelined longer than expected

Xinhua, January 19, 2016 Adjust font size:

Schalke's team captain Benedikt Hoewedes will be out of action with a hamstring injury for 12 weeks, sporting director Horst Heldt confirmed on Tuesday.

The defender suffered the injury during the 2-0 test match victory over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in Florida eight days ago.

The "Royal Blues" assumed that Hoewedes would be sidelined for six weeks; however, further medical examinations have revealed that the injury is worse than initially thought. Schalke will be thus at least for three months without the Germany international.

"Benedikt will miss a lot of games. He would be ready for action at the 29th match day, by then the season is almost over," Horst Heldt said.

Schalke's 27-year-old team captain will not only miss the Bundesliga restart against Werder Bremen on January 24 but also the UEFA Europa League double header against Ukrainian outfit FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the round of the last 32.

The sixth-placed "Knappen" sit 19 points adrift of front-runners Bayern Munich, who kick off the second half of the Bundesliga campaign on January 22. Endit