GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany, April 2, 2011 (AFP) - Schalke 04 have injury worries ahead of their Champions League quarter-final at holders Inter Milan on Tuesday as Germany defender Christoph Metzelder has a broken nose.
Metzelder suffered the injury in his side's Bundesliga match at St Pauli which was abandoned a minute from time with the score at 2-0 to Schalke after an assistant referee was hit in the back by a cup filled with beer.
The victory looks likely to be awarded to Schalke by the German Football League (DFL), while St Pauli could be fined and forced to play their next league match behind closed doors.
Injuries to both forwards Mario Gavranovic (ankle) and Peer Kluge (pulled stomach muscle) in the match mean the Royal Blues have a few concerns ahead of their Champions League match at Inter's Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
"At least with Chris we have the hope that he can maybe play with a face mask," said Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick.
"But the success at St Pauli will make make things a bit easier for us at Milan."
