- FC Union Berlin will be without first-choice goalkeeper Frederik Rönnow for their final three Bundesliga matches of the season after the Danish international sustained a muscle injury. The club confirmed on Tuesday that the injury, suffered during last weekend's 3-1 defeat to RB Leipzig, is severe enough to rule him out for the remainder of the campaign. Rönnow was forced off in that match and subsequent tests have revealed the extent of the problem.
Compounding Union's goalkeeping crisis, backup keeper Matheo Raab is also currently unavailable due to injury. This situation leaves third-choice goalkeeper Carl Klaus as the only fit senior option. The 32-year-old Klaus made his Bundesliga debut as Rönnow's replacement in Leipzig and is now expected to make his first start for the club in a crucial fixture against 1. FC Köln on Saturday, May 2.
The timing of the injury is particularly damaging for Union Berlin as they enter the final stretch of the season locked in a tense relegation battle. After 31 matches, Union sit in 15th place with 32 points, just six points clear of 16th-placed FC St. Pauli, who occupy the relegation playoff spot. Köln are one point and one place above Union, with VfL Wolfsburg a further point back in 17th, the direct relegation zone. Every point in these final matches is critical for survival.
Rönnow has been a consistent and reliable presence for Union since joining the club permanently in 2022 following an initial loan from Eintracht Frankfurt. His absence represents a significant blow to a defense that has already conceded 58 goals this season, the fourth-worst record in the league. According to the club's statement, the focus will now shift to Rönnow's rehabilitation with the aim of having him fully fit for the start of pre-season training, regardless of which division Union finds itself in next season.
The responsibility now falls to Carl Klaus, a veteran who has spent much of his career in Germany's lower divisions with spells at Jahn Regensburg and Würzburger Kickers before joining Union as a reserve option. His performance under intense pressure could be decisive in Union's fight to retain their Bundesliga status. The coming days will see the club assess whether to promote a youth goalkeeper to the bench as cover for Klaus, given Raab's ongoing fitness issues.
