Schalke goal-scorer injured in win over Basel.
Arsenal target Julian Draxler will miss Schalke’s remaining two league games of 2013 after tearing his hamstring in the Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League win over FC Basel.
The playmaker will be joined on the sidelines by centre-back Benedkit Hoewedes, who tore his right hamstring in the same match. The pair will sit out Sunday’s home match against Freiburg and the away trip to Nuremberg on December 21.
The Gunners have been linked with a January move for 20-year-old Draxler, who said in November that he regularly spoke to compatriots Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker.
Schalke’s Japanese defender Atsuto Uchida should be fit to face strugglers Freiburg having suffered a cut leg which had to be stitched up after the game.
“We have a heavy price to pay for the win,” said Schalke’s under-fire coach Jens Keller, who has been told a decision on his future will be made over the winter break.
Both Draxler and Hoewedes are expected to return when the Bundesliga resumes at the end of January with Schalke to discover their last 16 opponents when the draw for the Champions League is made on Monday in Nyon, Switzerland, at 1200 local time.
Schalke are sixth in the Bundesliga, but are 17 points behind leaders Bayern in the league table after some erratic form and have been knocked out of the German Cup.
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