Karl Injury Clouds Germany’s World Cup Build-Up

Karl Injury Clouds Germany's World Cup Build-Up

Germany midfielder Lennart Karl was sent to hospital for scans on Friday after sustaining an unspecified injury in training, casting doubt over the 18-year-old’s participation in the World Cup. Coach Julian Nagelsmann said the situation “didn’t look so good” and confirmed he would wait on a diagnosis before deciding whether to call up a replacement.

Karl broke into the Germany squad in March and has made three appearances for the national team, including a starting role in a 4-0 win over Finland the previous week. World Cup regulations permit Nagelsmann to name a replacement in cases of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the kickoff of Germany’s opening game, scheduled for June 14 against Curacao. Karl had been regarded as a key presence in the squad following a breakthrough season at Bayern Munich, where he became the club’s youngest scorer in the Champions League.

Nagelsmann also confirmed on Friday that goalkeeper Manuel Neuer would not feature against the United States on Saturday due to a calf injury sustained at club level. Neuer, 40, retired from international football after the 2024 European Championship before accepting a recall last month, and will enter the tournament without having played for Germany in nearly two years. Oliver Baumann, who served as first choice during Neuer’s absence, started against Finland.

A diagnosis on Karl’s condition is expected in the coming days, after which Nagelsmann indicated he would brief the media on any squad changes ahead of the tournament opener.