Germany have called up Assan Ouedraogo as the replacement for Bayern Munich youngster Lennart Karl, who was ruled out of the World Cup with an injury.
The 18-year-old enjoyed a breakout season with the Bundesliga champions and was initially included in Germany’s 26-man squad for the World Cup tournament.
However, he suffered a muscle tear in this thigh, which ultimately ruled out his participation from the tournament.
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has called up RB Leipzig’s Assan Ouedraogo to join up with the rest of the squad.
“I feel incredibly sorry for Lenny,” Nagelsmann said of Karl.
“With his light‑heartedness, his creativity, his pace, and his personality, he fit into the team perfectly.”
“It is a huge shock for him and for all of us that he will miss the World Cup. It is only a small consolation that he is young and still has many tournaments ahead of him.
“With Assan Ouedraogo, we are now getting a player who, similar to Lenny, had a great start with us. He is also highly talented and is meant to play here boldly and freely”, the Germany coach added.
Germany defeated the USMNT 2-1 in their final warmup game ahead of the World Cup, as they will be looking to avoid another shock result at the tournament.
After defeating Argentina to win the 2014 edition, Germany failed to progress beyond the group stage in Qatar four years ago.
However, they have a great chance this time around with an opening game against debutants Curacao.
They will then face Ivory Coast in their second group game, before facing off against Ecuador to round up group action.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
