Germany receives shocking news.

TPO - Defender Nico Schlotterbeck did not recover from his ankle injury in time, forcing him to withdraw from the 2026 World Cup after only two group stage matches.

The German Football Association announced that central defender Nico Schlotterbeck will have to end his World Cup 2026 campaign early due to a serious left ankle injury. The 26-year-old suffered the injury in the first half of Germany's 2-1 win over Ivory Coast, forcing him to be replaced by Antonio Rudiger.

The scans revealed that Schlotterbeck suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his ankle and will be sidelined for several months. Coach Julian Nagelsmann expressed his regret over his player's injury: "This should have been a brilliant World Cup for him. Schlotterbeck has excellent attacking capabilities."

According to FIFA regulations for the 2026 World Cup, Germany is not allowed to call up replacements. "Die Mannschaft" will be temporarily satisfied that Schlotterbeck contributed to the team's early achievement of their group stage goal. However, Germany will certainly face difficulties in the remainder of the tournament without the central defender whom coach Nagelsmann trusts the most.

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Schlotterbeck's absence will leave a huge void in the German defense. Before his injury, Schlotterbeck played impressively, contributing one goal in Germany's 7-1 victory over Curacao.

When unable to play, the Borussia Dortmund star remains at the team's training camp in the US to support the rest of the squad. Coach Nagelsmann highly values ​​his optimistic attitude and considers him a crucial source of morale in the dressing room. Currently, the responsibility of guarding the German goal will be shared among Jonathan Tah, Rudiger, Waldemar Anton, and Malick Thiaw.

Coach Nagelsmann will field the Tah-Rudiger pairing as Germany's starting center-backs in the next stage of the World Cup. Compared to Schlotterbeck, Rudiger is not as good at initiating attacks. Tah is also not the type of center-back who excels at ball control. Germany's build-up play from the back will be somewhat affected in the upcoming matches.

Rudiger is an experienced center-back but prone to individual errors. In the 2025/26 season, the Real Madrid defender's form declined, leading to him losing his starting place in the national team.

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Source: https://tienphong.vn/tuyen-duc-nhan-tin-soc-post1853535.tpo