Antonio Nusa injury concern emerges after scoring in RB Leipzig’s defeat to Manchester City

RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa was substituted as a precaution after experiencing muscular discomfort during Wednesday’s 3-2 Champions League defeat to Manchester City.

The 21-year-old Norwegian had an eventful evening at the Red Bull Arena, scoring Leipzig’s second goal to restore parity at 2-2 before being withdrawn in the 74th minute.

Head coach Martín Demichelis explained that he decided to replace the winger after noticing signs of a possible injury, fearing that continuing to play could result in a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

“He was close to getting injured. If I hadn’t taken him off, we would have lost him for six weeks. That was absolutely clear,” Demichelis explained after the match.

The Argentine also made it clear that he would not normally have substituted one of his most influential attacking players in such an important encounter.

“Good heavens, please! Would I have taken him off otherwise?” he added.

Nusa had repeatedly attempted to stretch his muscles during the game and was seen holding his thigh, raising concerns about his physical condition.

Although Demichelis initially referred to discomfort in the lower leg, his subsequent comments suggested that the problem could be related to the winger’s thigh.

Demichelis concerned about Nusa’s workload

The Leipzig manager also highlighted the importance of managing Nusa’s workload, describing him as one of the most heavily utilised players in the squad.

The Norwegian has featured regularly this season, with only captain Willi Orbán accumulating more playing time.

Given his explosive pace and reliance on sprinting, Demichelis believes it is important to avoid putting unnecessary physical demands on the youngster.

“I hope he doesn’t have any problems,” the coach said, before emphasising: “We cannot afford to lose Antonio Nusa.”

Augsburg clash in doubt

Nusa’s availability for Saturday’s Bundesliga meeting against FC Augsburg remains uncertain.

Leipzig will assess his condition in the coming days to determine whether he can recover in time for the weekend fixture.

Even if he is declared fit, the club could consider managing his minutes to prevent the muscular discomfort from developing into a more serious injury.

Nusa has been one of Leipzig’s most productive attacking players this season, registering four goals and six assists in eight Bundesliga appearances.

His potential absence would therefore represent a significant setback for Demichelis as Leipzig prepare for another important league fixture.