Serbian footballer Filip Kostic has been ruled out of the ongoing European Championship 2024 due to a knee injury. Kostic sustained a knee ligament injury during the team’s 0-1 defeat to England in the tournament. The footballer’s injury came as a significant blow to Serbia’s hopes of making it to the top 16. The game saw England starting their campaign on a winning note, owing to Jude Bellingham’s early header, leading to their narrow win in an exciting contest played at the Veltins Arena.
In the 43rd minute of the game, Kostic suffered an injury following a challenge with Bellingham. The Serbian fell awkwardly, after which immediate medical attention was given to him. Minutes later, the team doctor confirmed that the footballer suffered a partial lesion of the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee. He would require at least two weeks of recovery. In the post-match conference, head coach Dragan Stojkovic said, “Kostic felt a strong pain in the outside part of his left knee, and we fear that he could have ligament damage. He will undergo medical tests on Monday, let’s hope it’s not as bad as it looks.”
A scan confirmed that Kostic didn’t require surgery despite which he wouldn’t be able to train or compete further. Kostic will be with the squad during their next match against Slovenia on Thursday in Munich and will support them from the sidelines. However, he will then return home for further treatment. Serbia took to social media and confirmed Kostic being ruled out of the tournament.
On X, the Serbian team announced, “Filip Kostic is officially done for the Euros. Gutted for him, the tears when he came off, he knew.” Notably, the Juventus player is one of the most experienced players in the squad with 64 caps. Speaking of the team, Serbia currently sits at the bottom of the group and will be up against Slovenia in the next game.