In a setback for Germany’s national football team, midfielder Jamal Musiala will be sidelined for the upcoming friendly matches against Japan and France due to a back injury, as announced by the German Football Association (DFB) on Thursday.
The official statement released by the DFB cited Musiala’s unavailability for selection in the forthcoming games, attributing it to persistent back pain. The statement further clarified that the young midfielder had not been able to join the team at their hotel as initially planned.
Musiala had already been battling a thigh injury, which had caused him to miss Bayern Munich’s last two matches. Despite this setback, he was included in manager Hansi Flick’s 24-man squad for the September friendlies. However, it has now been confirmed that he is also grappling with a back injury, which has forced him to withdraw from both Saturday’s match against Japan and Tuesday’s encounter with France.
Notably, the German national team has decided not to call in a replacement for Musiala, choosing to proceed with their existing squad.
In another injury-related development, striker Niclas Fuellkrug left the national team’s camp and returned to his club side, Borussia Dortmund, due to thigh problems on Wednesday. In response to Fuellkrug’s departure, Flick made the decision to call up forward Thomas Mueller, marking the first time the experienced player has been included in the Germany set-up since the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
As Germany has secured its spot in Euro 2024 as the tournament’s host nation, the team will exclusively engage in friendly matches during the lead-up to the competition. These friendlies will serve as vital preparation as they look to build a formidable team ahead of the prestigious tournament.
