Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha looked to have a good path to a place in the Germany XI at this summer’s Men’s World Cup. However, even a place on the squad is now in doubt after a lateral knee ligament injury suffered during BVB’s 3-2 victory over Hamburg last weekend, which forced him to withdraw from the national team call-ups this month.
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann remains hopeful but gave a realistic assessment of the situation.
“The injury is not straightforward. There is no doubt
that there is a risk he may not be able to play at the World Cup. His absence would be an extreme loss,” Nagelsmann is quoted as saying by Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg.
BuLi News captured additional comments from the Germany boss: “I am hopeful that he will be able to play and that everything will go well. He has an excellent body and strong musculature. He can compensate for a lot. I am in good spirits. He is optimistic, I am too, and so are the doctors.”
In his absence, Bayern Munich pair Aleksandar Pavlović and Leon Goretzka are among the top candidates, though Pavlović was forced to miss out on the March international period as well. Goretzka started alongside VfB Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller in Germany’s chaotic 4-3 win over Switzerland on Friday in what was not exactly a banner advertisement for midfield control.
It is an area that Nagelsmann and Germany need to get sorted fast — and the health of the top players in the pool will be in the spotlight in the remaining months of the season.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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