Germany fears World Cup blow as Lennart Karl goes for scans

Germany’s World Cup plans were jolted in Chicago when 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl was sent for scans after an unspecified injury in training, a setback that could strip Julian Nagelsmann of one of his most explosive young options only days before the tournament begins.

Nagelsmann said the injury did not look good and that Germany would wait for a diagnosis before deciding whether to call up a replacement. That decision matters because FIFA rules allow an outfield player to be replaced for a serious injury or illness up to 24 hours before a team’s opening match, and Germany begins Group E play against Curaçao on June 14 in Houston. Ivory Coast and Ecuador are the other teams in the group.

Karl’s loss would hit more than the roster count. He arrived in the final squad after a breakout season with Bayern Munich, where he produced five goals and five assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances. He also became Bayern’s youngest ever scorer in the Champions League, which is why he has been viewed as one of the top young players in any World Cup squad.

The timing is especially awkward because Karl had only just broken into Germany’s setup. He made his senior debut in March and has already played three times for the national team, including a start in last week’s 4-0 win over Finland. He had also flown with the squad to Chicago ahead of Germany’s final warm-up match against the United States, turning a routine build-up week into an anxious watch on his fitness.

The injury adds another layer of pressure to a Germany squad that is already managing health concerns elsewhere. Nagelsmann said he would not risk 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer against the United States because of continuing calf issues, with Oliver Baumann having been Germany’s first choice for much of the period Neuer was unavailable. That leaves the staff balancing immediate preparation with longer-term tournament survival.

If Karl’s scans reveal a serious problem, Germany would lose a player whose pace, directness and end product offered a different dimension in midfield and attack. For a national team that enters every major tournament expecting to contend, the issue is not only whether Karl can play on June 14, but whether Germany’s depth can absorb the loss of a teenager who had already forced his way into the picture.