Schalke's Swiss star Embolo breaks ankle

Berlin (AFP) – Schalke 04 are expected to be without teenage striker Breel Embolo for the rest of 2016 after the Swiss international broke his left ankle on Saturday.

The 19-year-old was stretchered off after 25 minutes of Schalke’s 1-1 draw at Augsburg, which lifted them out of the Bundesliga’s relegation places into 15th.

Embolo was taken to hospital where x-rays revealed the injury suffered in a clumsy tackle from Augsburg defender Konstantinos Stafylidis, who was booked.

“We wish Breel Embolo all the best and a speedy recovery,” said Augsburg coach Dirk Schuster.

“Stafylidis got himself into a stupid situation.”

This is the latest blow to Schalke’s new head coach Markus Weinzierl, who set a new club record after they lost their first five games of the season.

“Very unfortunate news. Breel Embolo will be out for some time with a broken ankle,” tweeted Schalke on the club’s official account.

Algeria midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, scored his first goal for Schalke before Daniel Baier equalised in a 1-1 draw.

This is a bitter blow for Embolo, who Schalke paid FC Basel 22 million euros ($24.5m) for in June.

He only scored his first two goals for Schalke in their 4-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach a fortnight ago which took them off the foot of the Bundesliga table.

He is the second new signing Schalke has lost to injury recently.

Spanish defender Coke, who they signed from Sevilla in July for five million euros, suffered a serious knee injury just a week after joining the German club.