Werner joins Germany’s growing injury list
Striker Timo Werner is the latest Germany star ruled out of Sunday's 2018 World Cup qualifier away to Azerbaijan after tearing his thigh.
Germany’s players including Timo Werner (L) take part in a training session in Dortmund, western Germany, on March 21, 2017, on the eve of the friendly football match between Germany and England, which is also Lukas Podolski’s last match with the German team. / AFP PHOTO / Patrik STOLLARZ
The 21-year-old suffered the injury while making his debut for the world champions in Wednesday’s 1-0 friendly win over England in Dortmund.
“It was a great first game and was loads of fun to play in,” said Werner, even though he received whistles from the Dortmund crowd when he was taken off after 77 minutes.
Lukas Podolski’s superb second-half goal settled the friendly and Werner had few chances to impress, although Germany’s coach Joachim Loew was pleased with his performance.
Werner will return to his club RB Leipzig for treatment.
Loew has a lengthy injury list and hopes to get some of his stars back in time for Sunday’s away qualifier with Germany five points clear in their group.
Goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer, Mario Gomez, Sami Khedira, Julian Draxler and Mesut Ozil all pulled out of the England friendly with minor knocks and injuries.
Werner’s injury is a blow for RB’s head coach Hasenhuettl as well as Loew.
The Leipzig boss has said he expects Werner to be out for at least the next two weeks — not ideal as second-placed RB look to bounce back from consecutive league defeats.
“To lose a striker in this phase of the season is a catastrophe,” Hasenhuettl told Bild.
“We have a lot of fixtures coming up and he is out for the games against Darmstadt, Mainz and Leverkusen.
