The comntator remarked, as Lukas killed the ball's montum with his first touch.
He turned instantly to face the Roma goal and moved his feet to touch the ball when he saw Angelino sliding in with a tackle.
Lukas flicked the ball out of reach as he jumped to evade the tackle, but Angelino's boot still caught him while he was in the air, and he hit the ground in pain, clutching his left ankle.
Toppmöller felt his heart skip a beat as Lukas clutched his ankle with both hands and writhed in pain while the dics ran onto the pitch to assess the situation.
After rewatching the tackle from the feed provided to the coaching staff, Toppmöller ran to the fourth official protesting that the tackle was dangerous play and Angelino ought to be sent off, while Ranieri argued he was only going for the ball.
The referee only showed a yellow card while VAR checked and cleared it of dangerous play.
Another round of protest from Toppmöller ensued, which saw him receive a yellow card from the referee before he cald down.
Back on the field, the dics sprayed the magic spray on Lukas's ankle as he sat up from his lying position.
"How's it feeling?" a female dic asked as she gently pressed the area around the ankle. "Can you stand?"
"I think I can manage... But it hurts... really bad," Lukas replied as he winced in pain.
Toppmöller, Zembrod, and Buck waited impatiently for the feedback from the dics. They all knew Lukas's importance to the team even though it had barely been a month since his first-team debut.
He was in superb form, and a serious injury might derail not just their season, but his budding career.
"Call Igor back," Toppmöller said to Buck, who then scread for the player warming up by the sidelines. Toppmöller had decided to bring Lukas off whether he was able to continue the ga or not.
"There is no need to take unnecessary risks. I should have taken him off a lot earlier," he thought as he looked at Lukas and prayed silently that it would not be a serious injury.
The two dics, each on one side, supported Lukas as he stood up from the ground and stood on only his right foot with his left leg in the air.
"Place it on the ground very gently," the male dic to his left said to Lukas, and Lukas obliged as he gently lowered his left foot to the ground.
"It doesn't hurt as much anymore," Lukas responded.
"Yeah, the numbing spray is kicking in."
"That's great. I think with so bandages I could manage for the rest of the match."
"We can't let you continue, though. I think we should head to the locker room for more checks. I also don't think the coach will let you continue," the dic replied as he used his head to point to the technical area.
Lukas looked over and saw his number up in red on the substitution board.
{IT:} "Well, his race is run. Looks like he would love to continue, but Toppmöller isn't taking any chances, and I don't bla him. Losing your most in-form player in a match whose outco does not change their position in the competition."
The away fans stood up and gave Lukas a standing ovation as he limped off the pitch accompanied by the dics.
Ekitike ruffled his hair and said so encouraging words in French Lukas couldn't understand, while Larsson, Uzun, and a few other players tapped him on the back as he limped past them.
"How is he?" Toppmöller asked the dic after a brief hug with Lukas.
"It looks like an ankle sprain. We will have to do more thorough checks to see if it's just overstretched ligants or if there's a tear. But thankfully, we don't think there's a fracture. Just to be safe, we will run the scans as soon as we get to Frankfurt."
"Go on then," Toppmöller said to the dics and tapped Lukas on the back as they headed for the tunnel.
He watched Lukas go, muttered sothing under his breath, and turned his attention back to the pitch.
* * *
Back in Darmstadt, Germany, at the Ginez's house.
The whole family, except Reuben — the youngest, who was sent to bed earlier — were sat in the living room watching the match between AS Roma and Eintracht Frankfurt. The lights were turned off and only the light from the TV and so phone screens illuminated the room, as snacks and drinks were arranged on the table in front of the sofa.
"Damn... Look at the scenes... I should have been there!" João exclaid after they celebrated Lukas's equalizing goal.
"You have to be in school tomorrow. What do you an by 'I should have been there?' You should be sleeping!" Carlos Ginez, his father, interjected.
"Ahem... Sorry sir," João said as he sat back down in his seat.
"Javi," Carlos continued, turning to Javi, who was all smiles as he watched the replay of the goal, "your son is a very talented footballer. How about letting him play for my team?" he asked jokingly.
"Bayern? I didn't know you were an agent, Carlos."
"Who isn't one? Every fan wants the best players at their club. I'm just doing my part as a fan."
The n laughed as they talked about the idea of Lukas joining Bayern Munich because of agent Carlos.
"I'm only kidding, of course. As much as I'd love to see him at Bayern, he has to always do what's best for his career."
Javi nodded as they went back to watching the match.
After Roma scored the second goal and Lukas started getting singled out by the Roma players for fouls, they all started getting restless.
"C'mon! Why won't he book him? That's a clear second yellow for Saelemaekers!" João scread as he pointed at the screen during the replay.
Then it happened.
The tackle from Angelino. Lukas clutching his ankle in pain. The dics running onto the pitch.
No one spoke. João didn't stand up to protest, Carlos didn't blink, Javi stayed silent as he could hear his own heart beating.
Only the comntary from the TV echoed through the dark room.
Javi stood up and picked up his phone. "I need to make a call," he said as he walked out of the living room.
"A yellow card?! You've got to be kidding ! Why wasn't he sent off?!"
João was the first to lose his mind as the referee brandished a yellow card to Angelino while Lukas was being tended to by the dics.
"That was dangerous. He looks like he's in so much pain," Sofia Ginez, João's mother, said as she shook her head.
"This is one of the dangers of this sport. I really hope it's not very serious," Carlos said.
Sitting between Carlos and Sofia was Joanna. She hadn't said much since celebrating Lukas's goal. But this ti, she was completely quiet.
She did not make a sound, only clutching her phone tightly as she watched Lukas limping out of the pitch, visibly in pain.
Without saying a word, she stood up and headed straight for her room.
"Anna, are you okay?" Sofia asked as she watched her daughter walk out of the living room.
"I am fine, Mom. I just wanna use the restroom," Joanna said as she opened the door to her room, entered, and shut the door behind her. The sound of the locks turning was drowned out by the comntary from the TV in the living room.
Imdiately she locked the door, the light from her room made her face visible as she leaned against the door, as if her legs had given up on her.
Tears poured down her cheeks as the scene of Lukas clutching his ankle in pain replayed over and over in her mind. It felt like soone had put a knife in her heart as she used both hands to close her mouth while she cried her eyes out.
A few minutes later she wiped her eyes as she picked herself off the ground and walked to the bed, and imdiately started texting Lukas.
"Hey... How are you? How's your ankle?"
"What did the doctors say?"
"Is it serious?"
"Call when you can."
She put her phone to the side as she lay on her bed, tears welling up in her eyes once more as the scene kept repeating in her head.
She kept checking her phone to see if Lukas had read the ssages she sent or if he had replied and she missed the notification.
anwhile, outside the apartnt, Javi was on a call with Marco.
"I will let you know as soon as I get information from the club, Javi. I promise you he will be okay. AS Roma has a great dedicated hospital in Ro if there's an ergency. Eintracht Frankfurt also works with so of the best orthopaedic surgeons if there's need for surgery."
"Thanks, Marco. I'll be expecting to hear from you. I'll also contact him."
"Alright."
The call ended and Javi called Lukas imdiately.
No answer.
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