According to Nagelsmann, these factors worked in Ouedraogo's favour-and against El Mala

Julian Nagelsmann Germany 2026

National team manager Julian Nagelsmann has outlined the injury suffered by Lennart Karl and clarified the rationale behind the surprise late call-up of Assan Ouedraogo.

"I feel genuinely sorry for Lenny," said Nagelsmann on the eve of the German national team's final friendly against the USA in Chicago on Sunday. Lennart Karl suffered a torn muscle in Saturday's final training session and will therefore miss the World Cup.

Contrary to *Bild*'s account, the injury did not happen during the final shot of an extra training session; it occurred "in the middle of a practice match," Nagelsmann confirmed, adding that it was "during a relatively simple shot." The 18-year-old right winger immediately realised the severity of the injury, pausing briefly before tears flowed.

Nagelsmann added that the 18-year-old will be sidelined for "four to six weeks, perhaps a little longer", raising the possibility that he will also miss Bayern's first training session on 20 July, the day after the World Cup final.

Rather than drafting a like-for-like winger—such as Said El Mala, Kevin Schade, Karim Adeyemi or Chris Führich—Nagelsmann instead called up RB Leipzig central midfielder Assan Ouedraogo, a move that puzzled many fans and experts. Nagelsmann explained that the decision was not based on Ouedraogo's positional profile, but on the strong impression he made during his only previous DFB training camp in November, as well as his character and current fitness.

Assan Ouedraogo Germany training 2025

Julian Nagelsmann explains the late inclusion of Assan Ouedraogo

"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 slot in there," explained Nagelsmann. The national team coach insists that, even without Karl, he has sufficient wingers.

"That's why we picked the youngster who impressed us most—Lenny—because we were determined to bring along a young player." We always have to assess what's happening at the club and with us," Nagelsmann explained. Unlike other youngsters, Ouedraogo was immediately reliable and is highly regarded within the squad, the coach added, describing him as "a really lovely person with great ability." That remark can be read as gentle, veiled criticism of El Mala.

Another factor, he explained, was fitness: after Leipzig's season ended, Ouedraogo joined a marketing trip to South Africa, while El Mala, whose last match for 1. FC Köln was on 16 May, had already started his holiday three weeks ago.

That was also an important factor and one that shouldn't be overlooked: El Mala hasn't trained for two and a half weeks, just done a bit of running. I think his last match was on 16 May," explained Nagelsmann. "Assan played as recently as 29 May in South Africa with Leipzig. He's in top form and in his stride. A player who still needs another week to reach match fitness is no use to us."

The German squad for the 2026 World Cup