It was supposed to be his season: but Schalke’s talented striker Emil Höjlund missed almost all training sessions in 2025/2026 as well.

Even during the celebrations after FC Schalke 04’s 1-0 win at Dynamo Dresden two weeks ago, it was clear that Emil Höjlund was struggling with a health issue. He was hopping on one leg while the fans in the stands chanted “Schalke is the power.” Now it’s clear: talented striker Höjlund will miss the game against Holstein Kiel (Saturday, 1 p.m./Sky). Once again, he will be absent. In 14 months, he has only played 15 competitive games for the S04 pros. First, in the fall of 2024, he was plagued by Achilles tendon problems, then in January 2025, he suffered a persistent thigh injury: three months out. In the 2025 summer preparations, he completed a reduced program because he was to be slowly introduced to the team—and now? Injured again. “It’s a heel injury,” said Schalke coach Miron Muslic. “In truth, Emil had already sustained this injury before the Dresden game. But he was determined to play for the team because we were short up front.” Höjlund was on the pitch for the first 45 minutes, but stood out more for the party afterwards than for his successful actions on the pitch. Muslic in particular had high hopes: with his height of 1.92 meters and his powerful, intense playing style, he is perfect for Muslic’s strategy. In his previous positions, Muslic had always preferred strikers like the 20-year-old Dane. Schalke even dreamed of possibly making Höjlund their next million-dollar sale. However, there are no signs of that happening.

At least the heel injury is not supposed to be serious. “We are very, very confident that Emil will recover quickly,” said Muslic. In the battle for the “nine” position, he is currently only number four behind Moussa Sylla, Christian Gomis, and Peter Remmert.