Germany’s World Cup plans impacted by Lennart Karl's injury

Germany’s World Cup plans have been dealt a brutal late blow.

Lennart Karl, the teenage forward who had burst into the squad on a wave of Bundesliga excitement, has been ruled out of the tournament after suffering a muscle bundle tear in training, the German Football Federation (DFB) confirmed on Friday.

The injury came in the final training session before Germany’s friendly against the United States in Chicago. What began as a routine workout ended with one of Nagelsmann’s most exciting options lying on the turf and then heading straight to hospital for scans. The early visual diagnosis from the touchline was grim; the medical verdict has now ended his World Cup before it began.

On social media, the DFB’s message was short and stark: Karl is out, recovery awaits. No dressing it up, no attempt to soften the news. Just a farewell to a World Cup dream that had only just taken shape.

Assan Ouedraogo has been called up as his replacement, the RB Leipzig midfielder stepping into a squad spot that had seemed locked for the 18-year-old Bayern Munich attacker. Ouedraogo brings energy and versatility, but this is a like-for-like change only on paper. Karl offered something different: vertical running, fearlessness, and the form of a player riding a surge of confidence.

His rise this season has been one of the stories of the Bundesliga. Thrown into the top flight, he didn’t just cope; he accelerated. Under Vincent Kompany in a league-winning Bayern side, Karl forced his way from prospect to regular, playing with the swagger of someone who hadn’t yet learned to be afraid of big occasions.

That momentum carried him straight into the national team. He started his first match for Germany in the 4–0 win over Finland on Sunday and wasted no time leaving a mark, registering an assist and looking entirely at home in senior international football. It felt like the beginning of something. Instead, it becomes a painful footnote.

For Julian Nagelsmann, who had already hinted in Chicago that “it didn’t look good” after Karl went down, the confirmation underlines how quickly a carefully balanced squad can be shaken. He loses a direct, in-form attacking option just as Germany’s World Cup campaign gathers pace.

Nagelsmann must now reshuffle not only his bench but his attacking blueprint. Karl’s ability to stretch defences and attack space offered a useful contrast to more established names. Without him, the coach leans more heavily on experience and on players still searching for the kind of rhythm Karl had found over the past few months.

The injury news came on the same day Nagelsmann addressed another key position: goalkeeper. Manuel Neuer, recalled in May in a surprise U-turn nearly two years after his international retirement, will not be ready to face the United States. At 40, the 2014 World Cup winner is being handled with care.

Nagelsmann made it clear he expects Neuer to be available for Germany’s World Cup opener against Curacao on June 14. There is no appetite to rush him into a friendly, no matter his status. The message from the coach was clear: Neuer doesn’t need a gentle ramp-up, he knows the heat of tournament football, but the staff will not gamble with his fitness on the eve of a major competition.

So Germany move into the final stretch before the World Cup with a mix of reassurance and regret. Their most decorated goalkeeper edges towards full sharpness. One of their brightest young forwards watches the tournament slip away.

The squad still carries enough quality and experience to mount a serious challenge. The question now is whether the loss of Karl’s fearless spark changes the edge of this team when the real pressure begins.