Ragnar Ache
KOE
Center Forward
Target Striker
Jul 28, 1998 (28)
Right
6'0"
179 lb
Expected back in November
Ache (thigh) isn't expected to return to action until sometime in November as he continues to recover from a muscle injury, according to GEISSBLOG Koln.
Analysis: Ache is set for a multi-week absence after suffering the thigh injury during a friendly against Viktoria Koln. The forward is expected to miss the upcoming matches against Borussia Monchengladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt, Schalke and Union Berlin before potentially returning during November. With Thijs Dallinga also sidelined by a long-term knee injury, Koln will need to rely on their remaining attacking options in the meantime.
Out for time being with injury
Ache (thigh) has suffered a muscle injury and will be sidelined for the time being, the club announced Saturday.
Analysis: Ache will miss the derby against Borussia Monchengladbach on Oct. 11 with a muscle injury to his left thigh, with no exact timeline been given. With Thijs Dallinga (knee) out for several months, Ache would have been the obvious candidate to lead the line, which makes the recovery timeline the main question for coach Rene Wagner.
Suffers apparent thigh issue
Ache was forced off before halftime of FC Koln's friendly against Viktoria Koln after experiencing problems with his left thigh and is now headed to the Mediapark Clinic for further examination.
Analysis: Ache suffered an apparent left thigh injury late in the first half of 1. FC Koln's friendly against Viktoria Koln, having only entered the match as a substitute for Thijs Dallinga shortly after the half-hour mark. The forward was unable to return for the second half and was subsequently transported to the Media Park Clinic alongside Dallinga for further medical examinations. He has served primarily as a backup option this season and has been restricted to the bench for the last two competitive fixtures, with the exact timeline for his recovery remaining unclear.
Nets late consolation goal
Ache scored a goal while taking three shots (one on goal) during Saturday's 2-1 loss to Hamburg.
Analysis: Ache entered the match in the 64th minute and scored a late goal in the 90th. The goal was the first this season as Ache has combined for seven shots and two chances created over his last three appearances, only two of which have been starts.
Starts in friendly
Ache (thigh) is in the starting XI for a friendly against Bergisch Gladbach.
Analysis: Ache had already joined Koln for pre-season training but has furthered his recovery this offseason, as the forward joined them for a pre-season friendly. This is good news for the player after he missed their last few matches of the 2025/26 campaign. He was a rotational option last campaign before working into a starting role, a role he will look to keep this season, recording seven goals and four assists in 29 appearances (18 starts) during the 2025/26 campaign.
Back in full for preseason start
Ache (thigh) is included in Rene Wagner's squad for 1. FC Koln's pre-season start, having recovered from the injury that ended his 2025-26 season in April, the club posted.
Analysis: Ache spent the final weeks of last season on the sidelines after a thigh injury forced him off against St. Pauli in April, a frustrating end to a campaign in which he had become one of Koln's most important attacking players. He contributed seven goals and five assists and produced the standout individual moment of the entire Bundesliga season with his overhead-kick winner against Hoffenheim, later crowned Goal of the Season by fan vote. He worked his way back through individual sessions before preseason and is now fully back with the squad as Koln began preparations for the new season. With Jakub Kaminski having left for Benfica, Koln's attack leans more heavily on Ache heading into the new campaign, and he looks fully available and ready to carry that increased responsibility from day one.
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