Nicolai Muller scores Hamburg winner, celebrates, tears cruciate ligament and rules himself out for seven months
Hamburg winger Nicolai Muller has been ruled out for seven months after injuring himself in an elaborate celebration of his match-winning goal on the Bundesliga's opening weekend.
The 29-year-old wheeled away to the corner flag after scoring the only goal in the 1-0 win over Augsburg on Saturday but had to leave the field moments later after falling awkwardly from a jumping pirouette.
He tried to play on but scans after the game showed he tore a cruciate ligament and will require surgery.
😃 Score a goal
😨 Injure yourself in the celebration
🤕 Get subbed off
Nicolai Muller goes from high to low very quickly... pic.twitter.com/osCEM9qFJG— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) August 19, 2017
"The diagnosis is a huge shock for us, a big blow for the start of the season and of course extremely bitter for Nicolai," Hamburg's sporting director, Jens Todt, said after the game.
"We wish him a good recovery and will help him with that as well as we can."
In a small consolation to the man who was arguably Hamburg's best player last season, the goal helped the German side get off to a winning start in the Bundesliga following a shock cup defeat to Osnabruck last weekend.