Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann says he won’t close the door on Marc-Andre ter Stegen making his World Cup squad but admits it will be really difficult for the goalkeeper.
Ter Stegen has been forced onto the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a torn hamstring. The injury occurred shortly after he left Barcelona for a loan spell with Girona and it’s not known yet when he will return.
The goalkeeper made the move in a bid to play regularly and boost his World Cup chances but his participation at the tournament
in the United States, Mexico and Canada is now in doubt.
“Out of respect for Marc, I never close the door completely, because it’s his turn,” Nagelsmann told reporters after the Nations League draw.
However, Nagelsmann added that “things don’t look rosy” at the moment and made it clear that any decision has to “make sense, for him and for us.”
The Germany coach also said we must wait and see how Ter Stegen recovers but admitted there’s little margin, with the tournament due to start in June.
“This is a dramatic injury that takes a long time to heal,” he added.
“The worst part is that it’s tight because you have to consider the overall timeframe. It’s not like he played through last year completely; he was already out for a year.”
