FC Midtjylland Suffer Major Blow as Top Scorer Franculino Injured

Franculino's stellar season comes to an end

FC Midtjylland's star striker Franculino is out for the rest of the year, dealing a huge blow to the team's Europa League chances.

FC Midtjylland is currently holding onto second place in the Europa League on points...

FC Midtjylland are facing a tough time in the Europa League, and things just got worse with the news that their star striker Franculino won't be playing for the rest of the year. The forward was injured in Sunday's match against Viborg FF, leaving his team without their top scorer for the crucial Europa League clash against Genk on Thursday.

The Guinea-Bissau striker was substituted off after just 33 minutes in Sunday's 3-3 draw against Viborg, and unfortunately, it looks like he's done for the year. Coach Mike Tullberg confirmed the bad news, stating the player is injured and won't be back on the pitch until 2025, but didn't provide a specific return date.

This isn't great news for Borussia Dortmund, who are already dealing with injury woes. The striker, likely Serhou Guirassy, had recently returned to the national team after missing a match due to thigh problems, which seems to have resurfaced. Guirassy was an unused substitute in Guinea's recent win over Mozambique and had previously missed Dortmund's match against Mainz due to the same issue.

Franculino has been on fire for FC Midtjylland this season, netting an impressive 21 goals in 30 matches across tournaments. His absence is a huge blow to the team, especially with the Europa League clash against Genk looming.

FC Midtjylland is currently holding onto second place in the Europa League on points, but they're facing stiff competition from leaders Olympique Lyon and Aston Villa, who've won four out of five matches in the competition.

A win over Genk would put FC Midtjylland in a great position to advance to the next stage of the Europa League, with just two rounds left to play. Securing a win would see them surpass 15 points, which was enough to guarantee a spot in the round of 16 last season.

“We are incredibly proud of how we have represented the club in Europe. And we are aware that we can do something historic if we get into the top 8.”

“It's not because we don't talk about it. But we spend time on each match and on preparing the team as best as possible for the task,” says Mike Tullberg.