DFB team: Lennart Karl threatens to exit the World Cup, Neuer not fit again

“He’s now going to the hospital where a picture will be taken. We have to process the situation first, and so does he. For that we need a diagnosis. Then we’ll see if we can nominate someone again,” said Nagelsmann a day before the encounter against the co-hosts on Saturday in Chicago.

Karl recently impressed in the 4-0 (1-0) win in the penultimate World Cup endurance test against Finland. In Mainz he opened the scoring 1-0 through Deniz Undav with a quickly taken corner, then he also set up another goal for the Stuttgart striker. Karl has played three international matches so far.

Neuer has to keep waiting

Manuel Neuer will also not be able to play against the USA again on Saturday (8.30 p.m., RTL), as Nagelsmann confirmed after training. The comeback of the German record goalkeeper is postponed at least until the start of the World Cup on June 14th in Houston against Curaçao, four weeks after his last appearance for FC Bayern.

So far, Neuer has played 124 times for the DFB team, most recently in the quarter-final exit at the home European Championship against Spain (1:2 nV) in July 2024. He then announced his resignation from the national team, but was brought back by Nagelsmann for the World Cup.

In the last Bundesliga game against 1. FC Köln in mid-May, Neuer was substituted due to calf problems. He was then unable to play in the record champions’ DFB Cup final against VfB Stuttgart (3-0). Nagelsmann also decided not to play in the friendly against Finland (4-0) on Sunday. As in the World Cup qualification, Baumann was used there and will now also be in the DFB goal against the USA.

World Cup record within reach

Neuer, on the other hand, is contesting his fifth World Cup in America since 2010 and could replace Frenchman Hugo Lloris as the World Cup record goalkeeper at the tournament.

In Chicago, Neuer had continued his so-called “load build-up” since arriving on Tuesday. Social media images and DFB videos showed the Bayern goalkeeper during shooting exercises. Neuer also appeared very relaxed while walking on the promenade of Lake Michigan with his Munich colleague Urbig.