'Shock' for Germany's Nagelsmann as young star Karl ruled out of World Cup

Germany's World Cup campaign has been dealt a significant blow with the news that rising star Lennart Karl has been forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. The 18-year-old attacker from Bayern Munich sustained a muscle tear in his left thigh during the team's final training session before their last friendly match against co-hosts USA in Chicago.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann reacted swiftly to the diagnosis, announcing that Assan Ouédraogo of RB Leipzig will be called up to replace Karl in the 26-player squad. Ouédraogo, who debuted for the national team in November and scored a goal, is expected to join the squad at their base camp in Winston-Salem.

Nagelsmann conveyed his deep regret over Karl's misfortune, stating, "It's a huge shock for him and for all of us that he's missing the World Cup." He lauded Karl's positive attributes, noting his "carefree nature, his playful style, his pace, and as a person," which made him a valuable addition to the team. The coach added that while Karl's youth offers hope for future tournaments, his absence is keenly felt.

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It doesn't look good. I'm incredibly sorry for Lenny. With his carefree nature, his playful style, his pace, and as a person, he fit the team perfectly. It's a huge shock for him and for all of us that he's missing the World Cup. It's 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.

This is the second player from Bayern Munich to be ruled out of the World Cup, following Serge Gnabry's earlier withdrawal due to a muscle tendon injury. Karl's injury also evokes memories of Marco Reus's similar fate before the 2014 World Cup, where an ankle injury in a final warm-up match prevented his participation.

Karl had recently made his debut for the senior national team in March and had impressed in recent matches, earning a spot in the likely starting lineup for the game against the USA. Nagelsmann expressed confidence in Ouédraogo, describing him as a similarly talented young player who should play with "courage and carefree spirit."

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With Assan Ouédraogo, we are now getting a player who, like Lenny, had a great start with us. He is also highly talented and should play here with courage and carefree spirit.