Germany's World Cup ambitions suffered a blow on Monday after defender Nico Schlotterbeck was ruled out of the tournament with an ankle injury.
The Borussia Dortmund player suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle in the 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast on Saturday, the German Football Association (DFB) confirmed.
The 26-year-old, the only left-footed centre-back in the German squad, is expected to be out for around two months, leaving him unable to play a further part in the tournament.
"We’re going to miss Schlotti terribly on the pitch as an outstanding defender, and especially for his excellent build-up play. It could have been his World Cup," said coach Julian Nagelsmann.
Sporting director Rudi Völler spoke of "a severe injury" and said "it is a shame. It is bitter for us and the lad. A World Cup doesn't take place so often."
Real Madrid's Antonio Rüdiger is set to take Schlotterbeck's place in the starting XI for the final Group E match against Ecuador on Thursday, having replaced him at half-time in Toronto.
Other centre-backs in the squad include Schlotterbeck’s Dortmund teammate Waldemar Anton and Malick Thiaw, with Germany already assured of top spot in the group after the wins over Curaçao and Ivory Coast.
"We have to make up for it, and we will make up for it," Völler said.
Völler praised Schlotterbeck's decision to stay with the team at the tournament, saying "that speaks for our team spirit." He said that talks with Dortmund went without problems and that the club supports his decision and further treatment by national team doctors.
Schlotterbeck took to Instagram with a short statement, urging fans: "What matters now is the team. They deserve the full support of all Germans.
"Let’s stand together and show that we’re behind this German team in good times and bad, and support them on their journey to the World Cup title," he said.
But he also suggested how difficult it is to cope with the setback when he said: "I still need a bit of time to take it all in and to talk about it later. That’s why I won’t be saying anything in detail about it for the time being."
The injury is the third to hit Germany in recent weeks, with Bayern Munich youngster Lennart Karl having been hurt in training before the first game and his teammate Serge Gnabry also being ruled out before the tournament.
Nagelsmann will be unable to replace Schlotterbeck in the squad, as FIFA rules state that only goalkeepers can be called up during the tournament.
Schlotterbeck suffered the injury with just a quarter of an hour played against Ivory Coast, but remained on the pitch for the entire half after receiving treatment.
Nagelsmann praised his resilience and also said: "It’s a nice sign that he’s staying here with the squad for the time being, because he also has an influence off the pitch."
After rising through the ranks at Freiburg, Schlotterbeck joined Dortmund in 2022 and earned his first cap in the same year. He has made 29 appearances for Germany, scoring his first goal in the 7-1 win over Curaçao.
The injury is also bad news for Dortmund.
Schlotterbeck recently renewed his contract at the Bundesliga runners-up until 2031. He will miss several weeks of pre-season training. Dortmund's first match of the season is the German Super Cup on August 22 against Bayern Munich.
"We're with you, Schlotti," Dortmund said on X.
