James Sands has bad luck: NYCFC player suffers another injury out on loan | OneFootball

Things are going well for New York City FC after they won their third match in a row over the weekend, having their best start since 2018. But for fan favorite James Sands, who is on loan with FC St. Pauli, his individual success of doing well in Germany has come to a screaming halt.

This past Friday, it was announced that the midfielder suffered a season-ending injury. Per St. Pauli, Sands suffered an ankle injury in the game against Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. and required surgery. This means that the player finishes the season with 28 games in all competitions and over 2,000 minutes of play.

NYCFC's James Sands cannot catch a break

Unquestionably, the first Homegrown player for NYCFC was having a great season in Germany since he started most of the matches that he played in. St. Pauli believed in him to consistently play in the defensive midfield. Until the ankle injury, Sands missed only one game, which was due to a concussion.

Plus, the American, who is not a goal scorer by any means, scored a goal in the Bundesliga. He also had a rare assist in the DFB Pokal, Germany's cup tournament.

St. Pauli will definitely miss Sands, for the team is just three points above the relegation line. They need all of the defensive help that they can get if they want to ensure another year in the Bundesliga.

Meanwhile, the midfielder has had a bout of bad luck and cannot catch a break. When he first went on his initial loan in January 2025 with the German side, he had a good start with the team. However, he suffered an ankle injury in February and subsequently was out for the rest of the season. Thankfully, St. Pauli saw enough to renew his loan.

Now, with a second injury in two years, will the club agree to sign him permanently? This was always up in the air, especially with the relegation threat. It was always thought that Sands would not stay with St. Pauli if that came to fruition. Also, it is possible that NYCFC will demand a certain price that the German team might not be able to pay or be willing to do so. Hence, it was believed that he would stay in Germany, but do well enough to transfer to another Bundesliga side.