Germany's World Cup Plans Hit as Lennart Karl Injured

Germany’s World Cup plans took a brutal hit on Friday when teenage forward Lennart Karl was ruled out of the tournament after suffering a serious muscle injury in training.

The German Football Federation (DFB) confirmed the news, revealing that the 18-year-old Bayern Munich talent tore a muscle bundle in the team’s final training session before Saturday’s friendly against the United States in Chicago.

“Lenny tore a muscle bundle today in the final training session and is ruled out because of this injury. Have a good recovery, we're thinking of you,” read the DFB’s message on Instagram — a stark full stop on what had been a thrilling rise.

A breakout season cut short

For Germany, this is not just a squad adjustment. It’s a gut punch.

Karl had been one of the stories of the Bundesliga season. Thrown into the top flight for the first time, he forced his way into Vincent Kompany’s league‑winning Bayern side and stayed there, his energy and fearlessness giving the champions a new attacking edge.

That club form carried him straight into Julian Nagelsmann’s plans. On Sunday, Karl started his first match for the national team in a 4-0 win over Finland and marked the occasion by setting up a goal. It felt like the beginning of something.

Five days later, it’s over before it really started.

Nagelsmann had already sounded the alarm in Chicago, admitting the injury “didn't look good” and confirming Karl had been taken to hospital for scans. The diagnosis has now ended his World Cup dream.

Ouedraogo called in

Germany moved quickly to fill the vacancy, calling up RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo as Karl’s replacement.

Ouedraogo brings a different profile — more of a central presence than a wide or forward option — and his inclusion will force Nagelsmann to rethink some attacking combinations that had been built with Karl’s direct running in mind.

The change underlines how finely tuned this squad already was. Karl wasn’t just a token youngster; he had played his way into genuine contention.

Neuer sidelined for US friendly

While Karl’s tournament is over, another major figure is still fighting the clock.

Nagelsmann confirmed that Manuel Neuer will not be fit in time to face the United States, though the coach remains hopeful the veteran goalkeeper will be ready for Germany’s World Cup opener against Curacao on June 14.

Neuer, 40, was recalled in May in one of the boldest calls of Nagelsmann’s tenure, almost two years after the keeper had announced his international retirement. The decision stunned some observers, but the coach has never hidden his faith in the 2014 World Cup winner.

“At his age, he doesn't need a warm-up phase,” Nagelsmann said. “He knows how to handle high-pressure situations. He's on his way to peak fitness. However, we don't want to take any risks tomorrow.”

So Germany head into the United States friendly without the goalkeeper who defined a generation and without the teenager who was threatening to light up the next one.

The World Cup hasn’t even kicked off, and Nagelsmann is already being forced into his first major recalculations.