Berlin, Jan 17 (IANS): Hamburg's Lewis Holtby will be out of action after breaking his collarbone in a training camp in Dubai.
Hamburg's worst concerns were realised Friday, as Holtby will be out of action for ten weeks, after breaking his collarbone during the club's 3-2 friendly win over league rivals Frankfurt, reports Xinhua.
The 24-year-old midfielder suffered his injury following a challenge by Frankfurt's Martin Lanig with just ten minutes remaining in the game. Holtby fell on his right shoulder and was unable to continue.
"This is of course very bitter for Lewis. I'm incredibly sorry for him. We will support him where we can," Hamburg's coach Joe Zinnbauer said.
The midfielder joined Hamburg in September 2014 on loan from Tottenham Hotspur to make 14 appearances to date. However, he made overall 113 Bundesliga matches. He already played for clubs like Schalke and Mainz among others.
Hamburg sit currently on 14th position of the Bundesliga standings. However, they sit in touching distance to the relegation spots.