Groin injury curtails Wolfsburg captain Maximilian Arnold's season abruptly | OneFootball

Relegation-threatened VfL Wolfsburg will have to manage without Maximilian Arnold for the final matches of the 2025/2026 season. 

The captain, struggling with groin problems for weeks, will be sidelined for their games with SC Freiburg, Bayern Munich and FC St. Pauli.

Should Wolfsburg finish in 16th-place and it comes down to a potential relegation play-off, the 31-year-old will also be unavailable.

"Max had been making progress recently, but without quite reaching the fitness level he needs for his intense style of play. 

"Unfortunately, he suffered a setback in training on Sunday, so we decided, in consultation with the doctors, that it was best to take him out of the squad completely.

"This is also with an eye toward the new [2026-27] season," explained the Lower-Saxony club's head coach Dieter Hecking in a press release.

The midfielder, who had played 25 games in the Bundesliga this campaign, was equally distraught ahead of telling fans the news. 

“With the best support from the medical department, I tried everything in recent days and weeks.

"But when you realize it's simply not possible, then you have to make a painful decision,” said Arnold, who just played his 400th Bundesliga game for the Wolves.

“Anyone who knows me knows how hard it is for me not to be able to help the team in this difficult phase.

“Despite my rehabilitation program, I will remain close to the team to continue supporting them in our shared goal of staying in the league," he added.