Mario Gotze out until 2018 with ankle injury

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mario Gotze has been ruled out until 2018 after picking up an ankle injury.

The 25-year-old suffered a partial ligament tear in his right ankle during Dortmund's 4-4 draw against Schalke 04.

Gotze has made 15 appearances for BVB this season, scoring once and providing three assists.

The German club have struggled recently and have failed to win in any of their last six matches, slumping to fifth in the Bundesliga, eight points off leaders Bayern Munich.

The German international, who is expected to miss six weeks, is the latest player to join the club's injury list, with Marco Reus, Sebastian Rode, and Lukasz Piszczek all currently out.

Dortmund face Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the BayArena on Saturday.