Andrej Ilic
FCU
Center Forward
Left Winger
Target Striker
Apr 3, 2000 (26)
Right
6'2"
190 lb
Still unavailable
Ilic (illness) will miss Saturday's Bundesliga clash against Augsburg as he continues recovering from appendix surgery, according to Berliner Zeitung.
Analysis: Ilic remains sidelined following appendix surgery after an initial bout of food poisoning, with his recovery taking longer than initially anticipated. The striker has been gradually rebuilding his fitness through individual rehabilitation work, although he has yet to return to competitive action. He has not made a Bundesliga appearance this season and will remain unavailable for Saturday's encounter against Augsburg. No definitive return date has been established, but his continued absence leaves Union Berlin without another option in attack.
Still several weeks from return
Ilic (illness) remains sidelined following appendix surgery and is expected to miss several more weeks, according to coach Mauro Lustrinelli. "Ball training is planned for next week. I think we'll have to wait a few more weeks. We need to be patient with him."
Analysis: Ilic continues to work his way back after undergoing appendix surgery following an initial bout of food poisoning, with his recovery taking longer than initially anticipated. The striker is currently limited to running exercises and is expected to resume individual ball work next week, although a return to full team training is not yet on the horizon. He has been ruled out for Saturday's Bundesliga clash against Elversberg and will likely miss several additional fixtures as he gradually rebuilds his fitness. Ilic has yet to make a competitive appearance for Union Berlin this season, and his eventual return will provide another option in the attacking rotation once he is fully cleared.
Unlikely to feature Saturday
Ilic (illness) was limited to individual work Tuesday and has yet to fully rejoin team training as he continues building back up following appendix surgery, according to BILD.
Analysis: Ilic's recovery has taken longer than initially anticipated after his absence began with food poisoning before an appendicitis required surgery, and he's still working his way back to a full workload. His inability to train with the group Tuesday makes a return for Saturday's clash with Elversberg increasingly unlikely. The striker has yet to make a competitive appearance for Union Berlin this season, with his eventual comeback dependent on when he's cleared to fully rejoin the group.
Trains in full
Ilic (illness) returned to team training Friday and will be an option again moving forward, according to Berliner Morgenpost.
Analysis: Ilic's absence began with food poisoning and was followed by an appendicitis that required surgery, and he has not yet been involved in any of Union Berlin's competitive fixtures this season. The squad has the weekend off before preparations begin for the league match against Elversberg next Saturday, giving him a chance to build toward a potential return.
Ruled out against Bayern
Ilic remains unavailable for Friday's Bundesliga clash against Bayern Munich as he continues his recovery from appendix surgery, according to coach Mauro Lustrinelli.
Analysis: Ilic had initially been considered a potential option to return against Bayern but hasn't recovered sufficiently to make the squad. The forward has yet to resume full team training following surgery, and Union Berlin is taking a cautious approach with his recovery. A return after the October international break remains the more realistic target.
Unlikely to face Bayern
Ilic is unlikely to be available for Friday's Bundesliga clash against Bayern Munich as he continues his recovery from appendix surgery, according to Tagesspiegel.
Analysis: Ilic had initially been considered a potential option to return against Bayern but remained absent from team training Monday, making the fixture likely to come too soon. Union Berlin appears unlikely to take any risks with the forward following surgery, with a return after the October international break now looking more realistic.
Remains out against Schalke
Ilic (illness) remains unavailable and has been ruled out for Friday's Bundesliga clash against Schalke 04 as he continues his recovery from food poisoning, according to coach Mauro Lustrinelli.
Analysis: Ilic remains unavailable after food poisoning disrupted the start of his season and has yet to return to competitive action. His continued absence against Schalke suggests the striker still needs additional time to recover and rebuild his fitness before being considered for selection. Emmanuel Latte Lath remains the leading option to benefit from Ilic's absence in the attacking rotation.
Still not ready
Ilic (illness) won't be available for Saturday's Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen as he continues his recovery from food poisoning, according to coach Mauro Lustrinelli.
Analysis: Ilic will miss another contest after the lingering effects of food poisoning prevented him from featuring in Union's opening matches. The striker had previously been limited to individual work, suggesting he still needs to rebuild his fitness before returning to competitive action. Emmanuel Latte Lath should continue to benefit from Ilic's absence with increased opportunities in attack.
Ruled out for opener
Ilic (illness) will miss Union Berlin's Bundesliga opener against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, with the match coming too soon following the food poisoning and its lingering effects that have sidelined him, according to coach Mauro Lustrinelli.
Analysis: Ilic has continued training individually and has yet to fully rejoin team training, having already missed the DFB Pokal opener against Eintracht Braunschweig with the same issue. It remains unclear when he will return to collective training and be available again for Union Berlin. Until he returns to full fitness, Emmanuel Latte Lath will see increased playing time in the attack for Union.
Uncertain for Bundesliga opener
Ilic is still training individually as he continues to recover from the effects of food poisoning and remains uncertain for Saturday's Bundesliga opener against Eintracht Frankfurt, according to Welt.
Analysis: Ilic has yet to return to team training after food poisoning forced him to leave Union Berlin's preseason camp early and miss the DFB-Pokal win over Eintracht Braunschweig. The striker continues to work individually, leaving his availability for Saturday dependent on whether he can rejoin the group in the coming days.
Extends contract with Union Berlin
Ilic has extended his contract with Union Berlin, the club announced.
Analysis: Ilic joined Union on loan in the summer of 2024 after a successful career path through Serbia, Latvia, Norway and France. Since his permanent signing last summer, the striker has been directly involved in 25 goals across 50 competitive appearances for Union, contributing 13 goals and 12 assists. Ilic is expected to continue playing a central role in Union's attack given his aerial presenc. His extension keeps one of the club's most productive attacking options in place for the foreseeable future.
Nets twice in season finale
Ilic scored two goals to go with three shots (three on goal) and one chance created in Saturday's 4-0 victory against FC Augsburg.
Analysis: Ilic broke the deadlock for Union Berlin in the 10th minute when a loose ball fell to him, allowing him to find the back of the net into the open goal. He later added another tally just before the end of the first half, as he received an aerial assist from Oliver Burke before firing an unstoppable shot from outside the box. It was a great way to end the season for Ilic, who capped the 2025/26 season with five goals and nine assists across 32 appearances (24 starts) in 2,256 minutes. He wasn't able to replicate the seven goals he scored in 16 appearances in 2024/25, but he was far more collaborative in the build-up, as evidenced by the nine assists.
Involved in two of three goals
Ilic scored a goal and had an assist with his lone chance created while taking five shots (three on goal) and crossing once inaccurately during Sunday's 3-1 win over Mainz.
Analysis: Ilic opened the scoring in the 38th minute before setting up Oliver Burke for the game winning goal in the 88th while leading Mainz in shots. The goal involvements were the first since April 18th for Ilic as he's combined for nine shots over his last three appearances, two of which are starts.
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