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Germany’s head coach Julian Nagelsmann has shed light on the injury setback suffered by Lennart Karl and elaborated on the reasoning behind the unexpected late inclusion of Assan Ouedraogo in the national squad.

“I genuinely feel bad for Lenny,” Nagelsmann said on the eve of Germany’s final warm-up match against the USA in Chicago on Sunday. Lennart Karl sustained a torn muscle during the team’s last training session on Saturday and will consequently miss the upcoming World Cup.

Contradicting Bild's earlier version of events, Nagelsmann clarified that the incident didn’t occur during the final shot of an extra training session but rather “in the middle of a practice match.” He added, “It happened during a fairly simple shot.” The 18-year-old winger from FC Bayern immediately sensed that it was a serious issue. “He realised straight away something was wrong. It took him a moment, and then, unfortunately, tears began to flow.”

Nagelsmann further confirmed that the teenager will be out for “four to six weeks, maybe a bit longer,” which raises doubts about his availability when Bayern Munich resume training on 20 July, just a day after the World Cup final.

Instead of calling up another winger such as Said El Mala, Kevin Schade, Karim Adeyemi, or Chris Führich, Nagelsmann opted for RB Leipzig’s central midfielder Assan Ouedraogo—a decision that left fans and pundits somewhat surprised. The coach clarified that his choice was not primarily about positional needs but rather about the strong impression Ouedraogo left during his previous DFB training camp in November, along with his personality and current physical condition.

Explaining the rationale, Nagelsmann said, “On the left, we have Flo (Wirtz) and Maxi Beier; on the right, Leroy (Sane) and Jamie Leweling. Kai (Havertz) and Jamal (Musiala) can also fill in there.” He insisted that the squad still has sufficient width options even without Karl.

“So when it came to choosing a young player to bring in, we went with the one who impressed us the most: Lenny. We always evaluate both club and national team situations,” Nagelsmann stated. “Unlike some other young players, Ouedraogo has been consistently dependable and is very well-liked within the team.” The coach also described Ouedraogo as “a great person with excellent talent,” which could be seen as a subtle message directed towards El Mala.

Fitness, Nagelsmann noted, was another major consideration. Compared to El Mala, Ouedraogo is currently in significantly better physical condition. The Leipzig midfielder recently participated in a post-season promotional tour in South Africa, while El Mala, who plays for 1. FC Köln, had already begun his holiday three weeks earlier.

“That was also a crucial factor that shouldn’t be ignored,” Nagelsmann emphasised. “El Mala hasn’t trained for two and a half weeks—just some light running. His last match was on 16 May. Meanwhile, Assan played as recently as 29 May in South Africa with Leipzig. He’s in rhythm and fully fit. A player who’d need another week to get back up to speed doesn’t help us right now.”

Germany’s 2026 World Cup squad preparations continue with this latest adjustment.