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German midfielder Lennart Karl, 18, could miss the World Cup after being sent to hospital for tests following an unspecified injury in training on Friday.
Karl is considered one of the best young players in any World Cup team after a stellar season with Bayern Munich, for which he became the club’s youngest ever goalscorer in the Champions League.
“Unfortunately, Lenni was injured today in training. We have to wait and see what happens and, to be honest, it doesn’t look very good,” Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said ahead of his team’s final World Cup preparation against the United States on Saturday.
“He has to deal with the situation, so do we, and we’ll see what we do. We need a diagnosis for that and we’ll let you know then. We’ll then see if we can hopefully continue with him for the tournament or if I need to appoint a replacement.”
World Cup rules allow Nagelsmann to call up a replacement player in the event of a “serious injury or illness” up to 24 hours before kickoff of Germany’s opening match. It’s June 14 against Curaçao, a newcomer to the World Cup.
Karl made his Germany debut in March to continue his rapid rise and has made three appearances for the national team, including a key starting role in the 4-0 win over Finland last week.
Nagelsmann also said Friday he would not risk 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer against the United States due to ongoing concerns over a calf injury sustained at Bayern last month.
This means Neuer will enter the World Cup without having played for Germany for almost two years. He retired from the national team after the 2024 European Championship, but agreed to a recall last month.
Oliver Baumann has been Germany’s first choice most of the time during Neuer’s absence and also started against Finland last week.
Associated Press reporting.
