Van den Berg injury confirmed with defender ruled out until 2023

The 20-year-old was stretchered off in the second half as Schalke were defeated 3-2 by Augsburg in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

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Van den Berg, who has made three appearances for the German side since his move, was taken to hospital shortly afterwards.

The Dutchman attempted to block a shot from Mergim Berisha but sustained a nasty ankle injury in the process.

Schalke shared in a tweet: "Sepp van den Berg is on the way to the hospital with a suspected ankle injury. We keep our fingers crossed for you, Sepp!"

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The club later posted an update confirming he would be out until next year.

A statement said: "Two players suffered injuries in the 3-2 defeat against FC Augsburg on Sunday (2nd October).

"Sepp van den Berg was diagnosed with a serious ligament injury, while Rodrigo Zalazar suffered a metatarsal fracture in the game against the Fuggerstädtern.

"The injuries mean that both players will be unavailable for the rest of Schalke's competitive games this calendar year."

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Before moving to the Bundesliga on-loan, the centre-back made four senior appearances for the Reds having joined Liverpool from Dutch side PEC Zwolle in 2019.

He then spent 18 months on-loan at Preston North End, making 66 appearances in total.

Returning to Merseyside in the summer, he opted against a move back to the Championship in favour of a switch to Germany.

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In an interview with ELF Voetbal in his native Netherlands, Van den Berg admitted he felt he needed to test himself above the Championship.

"Over the last year-and-a-half I gained a lot of experience at Preston," he said.

"Just look at my shoulders. I have gained 10 kilos, only muscle mass!

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"Another year in the Championship was not my preference. I spoke with Burnley, but I still wanted a step higher. The Bundesliga was my preference."

The Netherland's under-21 star, who signed a new deal at Anfield in August until 2026, will be hopeful of a speedy recovery as he aims to break into Jurgen Klopp's side next season.