World Cup Heartbreak
Germany replaces injured Lennart Karl after thigh tear rules him out of World Cup
Anonymous
Germany has suffered a major blow ahead of the World Cup after 18-year-old Bayern attacking midfielder Lennart Karl was injured in training in the United States and taken to hospital for scans. Initial reports left his participation uncertain, but the diagnosis was later confirmed as a thigh muscle tear, ruling him out of the tournament. Coach Julian Nagelsmann immediately moved to replace Karl in the 26-player squad by calling up Assan Ouedraogo from RB Leipzig. Nagelsmann said Karl’s creativity and personality made him a key fit in the team, while also acknowledging the emotional impact of his absence and emphasizing Germany’s need to prepare calmly for his replacement. Karl had rapidly risen with Bayern, contributing to a domestic double and earning a place in Germany’s World Cup plans. Germany, fresh from World Cup disappointments in 2018 and 2022, will now head into the tournament with Ouedraogo as the latest addition during preparations that include a final warm-up against the United States.
Key Points
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After the diagnosis, Karl posted publicly that “it just hurts indescribably to have to miss the biggest tournament,” adding that he would “support the DFB team every minute” and thanked Germany for the “strong news”; his Instagram post drew thousands of comments, including from Germany internationals like Jamal Musiala and Antonio Rüdiger.
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Ahead of the scan, Nagelsmann told journalists to let the situation unfold without interference—saying: “We will go to the hospital to get scans calmly” and “Don’t start driving after him. Leave him alone,” while also stressing a diagnosis was needed before a replacement decision.
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Karl’s injury occurred in the final training session in Chicago and was described as a left-front-thigh muscle-bundle tear; he was examined in hospital after the team’s last warm-up before the tournament.
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Germany’s replacement, Assan Ouédraogo, had already broken into the national setup—celebrating his debut in the 6-0 World Cup qualifying win over Slovakia in November and scoring—before traveling to the World Cup base in Winston-Salem to join the squad.
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The Karl setback was compounded by another fitness concern for the U.S. friendly: Nagelsmann said veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer would not be fit in time for the match against the United States, though he hoped Neuer could return for Germany’s Group E opener vs Curaçao on June 14.
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