Injured Germany starlet Karl may miss World Cup, says Nagelsmann

Teenage Germany forward Lennart Karl may miss this summer’s World Cup after sustaining an injury in training, coach Julian Nagelsmann said Friday.

Speaking in Chicago ahead of Saturday’s friendly against the United States, Germany’s final warm-up match, Nagelsmann confirmed the 18-year-old was in doubt for the tournament after an injury in training.

“To be honest, it didn’t look good. He’s going to the hospital now to get a scan done.

“We need to process the situation first, and so does he. We need a diagnosis in order to do that. Then we’ll see whether or not we call up a replacement.”

The coach did not reveal the nature of Karl’s injury.

The Bayern Munich forward made his top-flight debut this season and quickly established himself as part of Vincent Kompany’s Bundesliga-winning side.

Karl started his first match for Germany in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Finland in Mainz, setting up a goal.

Nagelsmann also confirmed that veteran goalie Manuel Neuer would not be fit in time to face the US, but hoped he would return for Germany’s first World Cup match against Curacao on June 14.

Neuer, a 2014 World Cup winner, was surprisingly recalled for the tournament in May almost two years after announcing his international retirement.

“At his age, he doesn’t need a warm-up phase,” Nagelsmann said of Neuer. “He knows how to handle high-pressure situations.

“He’s on his way to peak fitness. However, we don’t want to take any risks tomorrow.”

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