Third division club SC Verl will have to do without Fabio Gruber until the end of the season. The central defender suffered a serious injury in the cup match.

SC Verl celebrated an important victory in the Westphalia Cup semi-final on Tuesday evening. The third-division club won 3:0 (0:0) against regional league side SV Lippstadt and will now face league rivals Arminia Bielefeld in the final.

The East Westphalia derby, which will take place on May 25 in Bielefeld’s Schüco Arena, will then decide who will take part in the DFB Cup for the 2024/25 season.

One player who will definitely not be able to take part in this highlight is Verl’s Fabio Gruber. The 21-year-old had to be substituted before the half-time whistle in the semi-final win against Lippstadt after a head collision. The worst fears have now been confirmed, as Gruber suffered a serious head injury.

SC Verl made the announcement on Thursday afternoon: “Regrettable news: In the match with SV Lippstadt in the cup competition, our player Fabio Gruber unfortunately suffered several facial fractures. This serious injury means that Fabio will not be able to play for us for the rest of the current season. An immediate operation is necessary to ensure his full recovery. “

It is extremely unfortunate what has happened to Fabio. All of us at SC Verl stand by him during this challenging time and wish him a speedy and full recovery. We will support Fabio in every step of his recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the pitch healthy and strong as soon as possible.

Sebastian Lange

Head of Sport Sebastian Lange also had his say. The 36-year-old emphasized that Gruber is receiving maximum support in the meantime: “It is extremely regrettable what has happened to Fabio. All of us at SC Verl are at his side during this challenging time and wish him a speedy and full recovery. We will support Fabio in every step of his recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the pitch, healthy and strong, as soon as possible. We naturally hope that Fabio will be available to us again in the summer preparations.”

Fabio Gruber only moved to Verl from FC Augsburg II last summer and has since played 22 competitive matches, 18 of them from the start. During the first half of the season, the central defender, who has a contract at Poststrasse until 2026, developed into a regular. He will now be missing until at least the end of the season