Schalke's Gosens and El-Faouzi injured in head clash at Köln

Schalke 04 drew 0-0 at 1. FC Köln in the Bundesliga on 24 October 2026, but the result was overshadowed by a serious head collision between two of their players.

After an aerial duel, Robin Gosens and Soufiane El-Faouzi clashed heads and both went down bleeding heavily. Reports said the sequence had begun with a push by Köln's Said El Mala on El-Faouzi. Both players received treatment and were taken to a hospital in Gelsenkirchen-Buer for further checks.

The diagnoses were reported as a broken nose and a cut on the forehead for El-Faouzi, while Gosens needed stitches for two head wounds. El Mala later apologised publicly, saying he had never intended such an outcome.

Both players returned to training within days, with El-Faouzi using a custom-fitted face mask. The incident mattered because it raised concern about two important squad members during a difficult spell for Schalke, and it set the scene for the injuries that followed in later matches.