Former Preston favourite Sepp van den Berg appears to have suffered a significant injury with Schalke having been stretchered off today.
Van den Berg became something of a hero to North End fans having joined on loan from Liverpool on deadline day in February 2021.
The Dutchman originally seemed like a throwaway loan deal after Ben Davies left Preston for Liverpool.
Yet Van den Berg ended up shining for North End and spent 18 months at the club rather than just the planned six.
Whether it was right wing back or right centre back, Van den Berg performed admirably for Preston and earned himself another move this summer.
Despite interest from English clubs – Burnley and Blackburn Rovers, notably – Van den Berg headed to Germany with Schalke.
Van den Berg has now started four games for Schalke, including the big derby against Borussia Dortmund before the international break.
There was another start today as Schalke hosted Augsburg, but the game didn’t go Van den Berg’s way.
With Schalke 2-1 down, Van den Berg was stretchered off with an ankle injury described as ‘nasty’ by Get German Football News.
Van den Berg was on his way to hospital and Voetbal International in the Netherlands note that Schalke are fearing a ‘serious’ injury for the former North End.
Van den Berg may now face a period on the sidelines as he looks to recover from this injury, with Preston fans everywhere no doubt wishing him all the best.
It would be a real shame if this move ended up being marred by injury.
Playing in the Bundesliga is a great platform for Van den Berg to continue his development and ultimately set up the coming years.
Whether it’s staying with Schalke, breaking into the Liverpool setup or moving on to another club, this move is huge for Van den Berg.
Let’s hope there is good news soon, but for now we can only wish Sepp a speedy recovery.