Maina leaves Köln training in tears ahead of Bundesliga opener

Linton Maina, 27, left FC Köln’s training session in tears after appearing to suffer a knock to his foot or ankle. The Harambee Stars prospect had assisted Isak Johannesson’s winner in Köln’s 2-1 DFB-Pokal victory over Würzburg the previous day.

Maina was involved in a challenge at the club’s Geißbockheim training ground on Tuesday. He tried to remain in the session but could not continue, eventually sitting on the pitch while receiving treatment before limping towards the dressing room.

Coach René Wagner followed the winger as he left and showed immediate concern. Köln will now assess the problem, with the full extent of the injury still unclear before Saturday’s Bundesliga opener against Hoffenheim.

The setback comes after Maina had built strong momentum during pre-season. His contribution against Würzburg, despite beginning that match on the bench, strengthened his claim for a starting role in the league opener and highlighted his importance to Wagner’s plans.

Köln could face a difficult selection decision on the right wing if Maina is unavailable. The club has already lost Jakub Kaminski to Benfica in a €20 million transfer, leaving further pressure on its attacking options at the start of the new campaign.

Wagner is hopeful that Maina’s problem is limited to a shin injury, which could give him a chance of recovering in time for the Hoffenheim fixture. Until the assessment is complete, however, his involvement remains uncertain.