Germany manager Hansi Flick will be forced to make several changes to his November FIFA World Cup qualifier squad after Bayern Munich centre-back Niklas Sule tested positive for COVID-19, the country has confirmed.
Players have been making their way to the national team headquarters to prepare themselves for upcoming meetings with Liechtenstein and Armenia, the first of which is scheduled for tomorrow Thursday, 11 November.
Sule flew to Germany’s base in Wolfsburg along with eight of his international teammates – four of whom have been forced to leave the squad and isolate themselves despite negative tests due to the close contact with Sule, while the other four have been allowed to stay with the rest of the squad, for the time being, notably they all tested negative for the virus.
Bayern Munich and Germany defender Niklas Sule has been forced out of the Germany squad after testing positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday, 9 November. | PHOTO: Getty Images |
According to the DFB, Bayern trio Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala have all joined Sule in leaving the camp, as well as RB Salzburg youngster Karim Adeyemi. Those who remained are unnamed, but they will be tested regularly and will distance themselves from the rest of the group.
Although Sule is double-vaccinated and asymptomatic, Germany’s team doctor did not confirm whether the decision had been taken for the other four to quarantine because they are not vaccinated.
Bayer Leverkusen center-back Jonathan Tah was called up to the squad on Monday, but no reason was given for his late addition. On Tuesday, Wolfsburg pair Ridle Baku and Maximilian Arnold and Monaco’s Kevin Volland, who is earning a recall himself, were also added.
The positive test also forced Germany’s morning training session to be cancelled on Tuesday.
“The number of [COVID-19] cases has risen sharply across the country,” said team director Oliver Bierhoff.
Germany head coach Hansi Flick has been forced to make several changes after Sule and four other unnamed players were forced out of the training facilities at Wolfsburg. | PHOTO: Getty Images |
The director went on to say, they will continue to implement the hygiene and behavioural measures in place for the final international game of the year, in order for the team to handle the current situation as responsibly as possible.
“This news coming so soon before the final two World Cup qualifiers is very tough, both for the coaching staff and the whole team, but health and welfare is our top priority, of course.”
Bierhoff further said the team hopes the player who tested positive recovers soon and that he remains asymptomatic.
Germany has already booked their place at the 2022 World Cup and have sealed the top spot in their group, so being without a number of first-choice players is not going to be too problematic for Flick’s side.
Liechtenstein is due at Wolfsburg’s Volkswagen Arena on Thursday evening for the penultimate World Cup qualifier, for which Die Mannschaft are heavy favourites to win.
The 2014 World Cup winners will end the break with a trip to Armenia, over whom they secured an emphatic 6-0 victory in early September.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login