Germany have been dealt a significant blow on the eve of the 2026 World Cup after forward Lennart Karl was ruled out of the tournament with a thigh injury sustained in training.
The 18-year-old, who had been one of the most exciting young presences in Germany’s pre-tournament preparations, suffered the problem during the squad’s final session before their warm-up match against World Cup co-hosts the United States. Karl had started in Germany’s impressive 4-0 friendly victory over Finland on 31 May, setting up one of the goals and impressing throughout with his directness and energy from the right flank.
RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo has been called up as his replacement.
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann did not hide his disappointment at losing a player who had generated considerable excitement within the camp. “I feel incredibly sorry for Lenny,” he said. “It is a huge shock for him and all of us that he is missing the World Cup. It is only a small consolation that he is young and has many tournaments ahead of him. We would have loved to have him on the team.”
Nagelsmann was equally quick to express his confidence in the player coming in. “With Assan Ouedraogo, we are getting a player who, like Lenny, had a fantastic start with us,” he said. “He is also highly talented and we expect him to play with courage and freedom.”
Germany face the United States on Saturday in their final warm-up fixture before opening their Group E campaign against Curacao on 14 June, followed by further group matches against Ivory Coast on 20 June and Ecuador on 25 June.
