Pacarada suffers shock injury on Heidenheim debut

Leart Pacarada suffered a cruciate ligament tear in his first game for 1. FC Heidenheim.

Just seven minutes into his first game for 1. FC Heidenheim at the weekend, Leart Paçarada had to be substituted with an injury.

An MRI scan on Monday confirmed the worst possible news: the 30-year-old suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his side’s 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund and will be sidelined for several months.

“The injury to Paca hits all of us hard – primarily, of course, him personally. We wish him a successful recovery and will support him as best we can,” said head coach Frank Schmidt.

The loss of Paçarada, who was signed from 1. FC Köln toward the end of the transfer window, is a major setback for Heidenheim.

“In the coming months, we as a team must stand even closer together, take responsibility, and collectively compensate for the absence of Leart Paçarada,” Schmidt added.