FC Schalke's goalkeeper injury jinx

German Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04 are facing a rare goalkeeper injury jinx this season with Timo Hildebrand being their third goalkeeper to be hit by a serious injury. Hildebrand picked-up an elbow injury while conceding the first goal in his clubs 2-4 Europa League defeat against Athletic Bilbao and had to be substituted at half-time.

How long 32 year old Hildebrand will have to sit out is not unknown, but 35 year old Mathias Schober is now the fourth goalkeeper to be in action for the royal blues with one of the Schalke 04 II keepers set to sit on the bench in Sunday's match against Hoffenheim.

Last summer Manuel Neuer had left Schalke with 23 year old Ralf Fährmann, who returned to S04 from Eintracht Frankfurt, being made the clubs new number one. But Fährmann would suffer a crucial ligament injury bringing in 21 year old Lars Unnerstall who himself would suffer a shoulder injury (acromioclavicular blast) and then on Thursday goalkeeper number three Timo Hildebrand followed with the elbow injury.

While the return of Fährmann and Hildebrand is unknown, Unnerstall has returned to first team training and might be back in action in 10 to 14 days which would ease the goalkeeping pressure on the club.