St. Pauli’s Sands faces lengthy recovery following series of injuries

James Sands only joined St. Pauli in the January transfer window after Alexander Blessin's demand for a midfield reinforcement. Since then, the 24-year-old has been a regular fixture at the heart of the newly-promoted side’s midfield, alongside club captain Jackson Irvine.

He also played the entire 90 minutes when St. Pauli lost to Freiburg yesterday following Philipp Treu’s late own-goal. But, during the game, Sands sustained several serious injuries. The defensive midfielder had already undergone ankle surgery for a torn ligament and a broken fibula.

Sands, who was drafted to New York City’s first team in 2017, previously had another loan spell in Europe with Rangers. Including his role in USMNT’s Gold Cup triumph in 2021, he played 13 games for his national team.