Turkey’s hopes for Euro 2024 have suffered a setback as defender Ozan Kabak has been sidelined from the tournament after tearing a cruciate ligament in his right knee during a friendly match against Italy, the Turkish Football Association announced on Wednesday.
Kabak sustained the injury while contesting the ball with Italy’s Mateo Retegui shortly before halftime in the friendly, which ended in a goalless draw.
Confirming Kabak’s absence from the Euro 2024 squad, the Turkish federation opted not to name a replacement for the injured defender.
The 24-year-old, formerly with Liverpool, currently plies his trade in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim. The club revealed that Kabak faces an extended period of recovery, with the player expected to be sidelined for “many months.”
Expressing disappointment over Kabak’s injury, Hoffenheim’s managing director Alexander Rosen remarked, “This is an unbelievably bitter piece of news and a personal tragedy for Ozan. The fact that this dream has been shattered by such a severe injury just a few days before the opening game of the Euro makes the whole situation all the more dramatic.”
