Newcastle United forward Nick Woltemade has postponed his arrival for international duty with Germany after being struck down by a flu virus.
The national team confirmed on Monday (October 6) that the 23-year-old will join up with the squad later in the week, ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland.
Woltemade’s delayed arrival comes as a minor setback for both club and country.
Since arriving at St. James’ Park in the summer summer, the German striker has quickly established himself as a vital part of Eddie Howe’s attacking setup.
Woltemade has started the season in fine form, scoring fluently in both the Premier League and Champions League.
He continued his impressive streak with a calm penalty in the Magpies’ 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday (October 5).
This took his tally to four goals in seven appearances across all competitions – averaging a goal every 102 minutes in the Premier League.
He has also now bagged three goals within the span of eight days, including one in the Champions League in Newcastle’s 4-0 demolition of Union Saint-Gilloise.
“Nick Woltemade will not be arriving today due to a flu virus,” read an official statement from the German national team, though no specific return date was given.
Head coach Julian Nagelsmann has opted against naming a replacement and will monitor Woltemade’s recovery closely before making a final decision on his involvement.
Germany face Luxembourg at home on Friday (October 10) before travelling to Belfast to take on Northern Ireland on October 13.
The four-time world champions currently sit second in Group A with three points from two matches, trailing leaders Slovakia, who have triumphed in both of their opening fixtures.
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