News (engl.)

Germany international Lennart Karl suffered a torn muscle in his left thigh during the national team’s final training session in Chicago on Friday ahead of their friendly clash with the USA, ruling him out of the World Cup. Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has called up RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouédraogo to take the place of the FC Bayern München player. Ouédraogo made his Germany debut in November’s 6-0 World Cup qualifying win over Slovakia, scoring the final goal of the game. The 2023 U17 world and European champion will link up with the squad in Winston-Salem in the coming days.

Julian Nagelsmann: “I feel incredibly sorry for Lenny. His fearlessness, invention, pace and personality meant he fitted into the team brilliantly. It is a huge shock for him and for all of us that he will miss the World Cup. The only small consolation is that he is young and still has plenty of tournaments ahead of him. We would have loved to have had him in the team. In Assan Ouédraogo, we are now bringing in a player who, much like Lenny, has made an excellent start with us. He is also hugely talented and should offer courage and freedom.”