Julian Nagelsmann says centre-back will be missed “enormously” and “could have played a big role” at the tournament
Germany have confirmed that Nico Schlotterbeck will play no further part in the World Cup after the defender suffered a medial ankle ligament injury in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast.
The German Football Association said the Borussia Dortmund centre-back is expected to be sidelined for several months. Schlotterbeck was forced off at half-time against Ivory Coast and subsequent examinations have ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament. However, the 26-year-old will remain with the squad in the US.
Schlotterbeck arrived at the tournament as one of Germany’s most in-form players and his club performance was carried over to the international stage. Nagelsmann described his loss as a major setback for the team.
Germany relied heavily on Schlotterbeck’s passing from the back in the opening matches. The defender started Germany’s wins over Curaçao and Ivory Coast and scored in the 7-1 victory against the Caribbean side.
“We’ll miss Schlotti enormously on the pitch,” Nagelsmann said. “He’s an outstanding defender and his ability to play out from the back is exceptional. He could have played a big role at this World Cup.
“We all tried to lift his spirits yesterday and fortunately, he’s a very positive person who is already looking ahead. The fact that he’s staying here with the squad for now is a lovely gesture because he also has influence off the pitch.”
Nagelsmann had signalled concern immediately after the match, revealing he was surprised Schlotterbeck had managed to continue until the interval. “It’s not looking good,” the Germany coach said after withdrawing the defender.
Schlotterbeck addressed supporters in a message on Instagram, urging attention to remain on Germany’s campaign rather than his injury.
“I still need a bit of time to process everything and speak about it at a later stage. Therefore, I won’t be making any detailed comments on the matter for the time being,” he wrote.
“What matters now is the team. They deserve the full support of all Germans. Let’s stand together and show that we are behind this German team in both good and difficult moments, and support them on their path towards the World Cup title.”
His club, Borussia Dortmund, also expressed support, with sporting director Lars Ricken highlighting Schlotterbeck’s importance to both club and country.
“I feel extremely sorry for Nico; he was in really good form and an indispensable part of our national team’s starting line-up,” Ricken said. “But Nico showed last year how he can come back even stronger after an injury. He’ll do the same this time too; we’re convinced of that.”
