Overview
- Both Thijs Dallinga and Ragnar Ache were forced off during a friendly against Viktoria Köln on Oct 3 after Dallinga twisted his knee and Ache grabbed his thigh.
- 1. FC Köln confirmed Dallinga has a cruciate ligament injury that will sideline him for several months and said Ache has a thigh muscle injury and is unavailable for the time being while scans continue.
- The double loss removes Köln’s two main centre‑forward options ahead of the Oct 11 Rhineland derby with Borussia Mönchengladbach and forces coach René Wagner to rethink his attack.
- Dallinga is on loan from Bologna with a contract through mid‑2028 and an option to buy, so his long absence complicates Köln’s short‑term selection and medium‑term transfer decisions and limits his national team prospects.
- The injuries underline the risk of non‑competitive friendlies for squad availability and are likely to push experienced alternatives such as Marius Bülter into a larger role for Köln’s upcoming league and cup matches.