Recovering Hoger handed new deal at Schalke

Injured Schalke midfielder Marco Hoger has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Veltins Arena until 2017.

The 26-year-old has endured a difficult time with injuries since moving to the club in 2011 and suffered cruciate ligament damage in the win over Hamburg last month that looks set to rule him out for a lengthy period.

Hoger, who has made 117 appearances for Schalke in all competitions, has extended his contract by a year, with sporting director Horst Heldt explaining the move was always in the pipeline.

"Shortly after Marco got injured, we decided to get him signed on for longer," he told Schalke's official website.

"In the last few years, Hoger has given everything for Schalke, so we wanted to give something back. We will now give him the time he needs to recover. After that he can work his way back into the team."

Hoger added: "I will now work hard so I can get back into the team as quickly as possible."

Schalke are third in the Bundesliga, having lost just twice in the league this season.