Injury Worry for Germany as Schlotterbeck Misses Training Again

By Arne Richter, dpa | Edited TIN24 Editor Amit Alhat

Wolfsburg, Germany ,12 Nov (dpa) – Nico Schlotterbeck’s participation in Germany’s World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg on Friday is becoming increasingly unlikely after the defender missed another training session.

Borussia Dortmund’s Schlotterbeck was again absent from team practice on Wednesday in Wolfsburg due to a foot injury suffered in the 1-1 draw with SV Hamburg last weekend.

Although his situation has “improved significantly,” the player is still unable to train, German Football Federation (DFB) spokeswoman Franziska Wülle said.

“Given that he wasn’t even on the pitch yet, I think we can look at the Slovakia game with hope,” she added.

Coach Julian Nagelsmann was expecting to have Schlotterbeck in his starting line-up against Luxembourg on Friday and Slovakia on Monday.

Nagelsmann, however, initially hasn’t called up a replacement. In case Schlotterbeck can’t play, his Dortmund team-mate Waldemar Anton is expected to start in defence alongside Jonathan Tah.

“I haven’t seen him (Schlotterbeck) on the pitch yet. But he has a strong presence and laughs a lot. It looks like things are moving in the right direction. He is an outstanding player who is always working on himself and wants to improve,” Tah said.

Germany top Group A on goal difference over Slovakia and will definitely win the group to qualify directly for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada if they win both matches.

“It’s about getting the basics right. We have to go into the game with total conviction – in one-on-one situations, when pressing high up the pitch, giving 100%,” Tah stressed.

“These are relatively simple things. If you do them well as a team, it makes life extremely difficult for the opposition.”

Asked whether there were doubts about the direct qualification to the World Cup, Tah said: “A quick answer: no!”
Two victories should also see them clinch a place in pot one for the December 5 World Cup draw in Washington as one of the nine best teams in the FIFA rankings alongside the three host nations.

Tah is enjoying a great season with Bayern Munich as the club are unbeaten so far, with their only setback a 2-2 draw at Union Berlin last weekend.

“The Bayern players try to bring what they do at their club to this team. Everyone has to contribute what they can and do what the coach asks of them here,” he said.