Ahead of his start at RB Leipzig, Rouven Schröder has injured himself. The former Schalke sport director has torn his Achilles tendon.

RB Leipzig’s new sporting director Rouven Schröder will start his first day of work at the Bundesliga football club on Saturday handicapped. According to Bild, the 47-year-old tore his Achilles tendon in a sports accident and had to undergo surgery on Wednesday, but the club says his start on Saturday in the Bundesliga match against his former club FSV Mainz 05 is not in danger. “There was a mishap,” confirmed press spokesman Till Müller at the press conference on Thursday.

Schröder had terminated his dormant contract at FC Schalke and will form a duo with sporting director Max Eberl at the Saxons from 1 April. “Rouven will support me in the areas of squad planning, scouting and licensing,” Eberl had said in March.

Coach Marco Rose has not yet had an exchange with Schröder. “I know he is a good guy and has always done a good job in terms of content. We are happy to have any quality input,” Rose said on Thursday.