BAD PERIOD IN MT MELSUNGEN: Aaron Mensing Suffers Achilles Tendon Rupture
EHF European League, final main round match—MT Melsungen was in action against THW Kiel on Tuesday. The North Hessian team needed a win to secure a direct spot in the quarterfinals. Just 12 minutes into the game, Aaron Mensing suddenly slipped during an attack and remained on the ground in visible pain. For the shooter, the match was over— and not just that. The initial suspicion in the arena was confirmed after an MRI examination in Kassel today: the Achilles tendon is torn!
“This is absolutely bitter and, first and foremost, I feel very sorry for Aaron. But, of course, it is also a severe blow for our team,” said Michael Allendorf. The MT Melsungen sporting director continued: “He has helped us in many situations with his goals. But it’s not just those that will now be missing; his immense fighting spirit, which he brings to our game, will be absent as well.”
In light of the injury shock, MT’s 24:35 loss at the end of the game became secondary. After all, they still have a chance to reach the quarterfinals via the playoffs.
It will take at least six months before Aaron Mensing can return to the field. Adding to the bitterness for the player, he had just received an invitation from the Danish federation for the upcoming international matches.
With this latest injury, the number of long-term absences in the MT Melsungen squad has dramatically grown to the size of an entire team:
- Amine Darmoul: torn ACL, operated
- David Mandic: broken metacarpal, operated
- Bruno Eickhoff: syndesmosis ligament tear
- Alexandre Cavalcanti: back problems
- Arnar Freyr Arnarsson & Elvar Örn Jonsson: muscle injuries
Currently, coach Roberto Garcia Parrondo has only four backcourt players available— and this at a time when the club is competing in three major tournaments: Bundesliga, European League, and DHB-Pokal.
Sporting Director’s Appeal to the Fans
Ahead of the upcoming home game against Leipzig (Friday, 8:00 PM, Rothenbach-Halle), Michael Allendorf made a heartfelt appeal to the fans:
“We have experienced so many times this season how much energy the team can generate when supported by you. And the team has always given back with incredible effort. Now, in this exceptional situation, it is especially important to support the players. Please show this at the upcoming game on Friday against Leipzig. Given our dramatic personnel situation, this will be the first time this season that we are not the favorites at Rothenbach-Halle. – Many thanks in advance on behalf of all the players!”
