Schlotterbeck ruled out of World Cup – Nagelsmann loses his second player

As the DFB further announced, the FIFA registration deadline for replacements has already passed. This means Nagelsmann can no longer call up an outfield player to replace Schlotterbeck. Serge Gnabry of FC Bayern Munich, Karl's club teammate, had also previously had to cancel his World Cup participation before the squad announcement. According to FIFA rules, after a team's first match, only the replacement of a goalkeeper is still permitted.

Nagelsmann: "Schlotti will be missed"

Nagelsmann was visibly affected by the diagnosis. "It is a nice sign that he is initially staying here with the squad, because he also has an impact off the pitch," the 38-year-old head coach said, according to a DFB statement, about Schlotterbeck's decision to initially remain with the team in the USA. Shortly after the match in Toronto, Nagelsmann had already suspected what was to come: "es sieht leider nicht ganz so gut aus," he had said at the stadium.

"Schlotti will be greatly missed on the pitch as an outstanding defender, and especially his excellent build-up play. This could have been his World Cup," Nagelsmann paid tribute following the loss. Regarding the personnel alternatives in central defense, however, the coach was confident: "Despite his absence, we remain very well set up for the World Cup in central defense with Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rüdiger, Waldemar Anton, and Malick Thiaw." The mood within the team is also intact: "Yesterday we all tried to lift his spirits – fortunately, he is a very positive character who is already looking ahead again."

Reaction from Dortmund: "Incredibly bitter"

At Borussia Dortmund, Schlotterbeck's home club, the diagnosis also caused dismay. "The fact that he is now ruled out of the World Cup through injury is very unfortunate and incredibly bitter," said Lars Ricken, BVB's sporting director. "But Nico showed last year how he comes back even stronger after an injury. He will do so again this time, of that we are convinced." Schlotterbeck will initially be examined by MRI at a clinic in North Carolina to determine the exact extent of the injury.

Teammate Antonio Rüdiger, who plays for Real Madrid and also made an impact after coming on as a substitute against Ivory Coast, sent recovery wishes to the injured friend: "Ich hoffe, dass es nicht so schlimm ist. Er ist ein wichtiger Spieler, wir brauchen ihn. Wir wollen alle beisammen haben. Wichtig ist, dass Nico gesund ist." DFB team doctor Jochen Hahne, who had already treated Schlotterbeck on the pitch immediately after the collision, is also accompanying the recovery process. Last summer, Hahne had already coordinated Jamal Musiala's return to Germany after his serious leg fracture.

Team doctor Hahne treats Schlotterbeck

DFB sporting director Rudi Völler will monitor the further course of recovery from afar. The German team is accommodated at the team hotel The Graylyn Estate in Winston-Salem and is preparing there for the final group match against Ecuador. The DFB had notably taken an unusually long time with an official diagnosis, only communicating details of the injury late on Sunday evening (local time).

Power bank – Substitutions as the key

Sportingly, the second group match for the German side went successfully despite Schlotterbeck's loss. Deniz Undav scored the decisive goal for the 2:1 final score against Ivory Coast. "It is important that everyone is ready at every moment. That is an important signal to the team that we can always step up," the goalscorer said after the match. Nadiem Amiri, Jamie Leweling, Leon Goretzka, and Antonio Rüdiger had also made clear impacts after coming on as substitutes against the African opponents.

The substitutions were described by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as the "Powerbank" of the German team – an image illustrating that the bench can provide the team with decisive energy in this tournament. Captain Joshua Kimmich explicitly praised the changes: "Wir wussten schon vor dem Turnier, dass unsere Bank sehr, sehr wichtig sein wird. Das war sie heute. Alle Einwechslungen waren überragend."

Nagelsmann himself spoke about the significance of the substitutions for the atmosphere within the squad: "Wenn du Spieler einwechselst, die dann ein Spiel entscheiden, dann gehen natürlich auch Spieler mit, die auf der Bank saßen. Die wollen dranbleiben, die denken, ich kann auch irgendwann den Moment haben." The head coach also conceded that not all of his substitutions had been successful: "Manchmal geht es gut. Es gab aber auch schon Spiele bei mir, da ging es nicht gut" – referring to the 3:3 draw against Italy and the 1:2 defeat against Portugal in the Nations League, in each of which three substitutions had disrupted the team's rhythm.

Hoeneß praises Nagelsmann's substitutions

Nagelsmann also addressed the celebrations after Undav's winning goal: "Wie da die ganze Mannschaft im Eck lag, das ist schon ein cooles Zeichen und das freut mich super für die Jungs und das kann schon Kräfte freisetzen, definitiv." Uli Hoeneß, honorary president of FC Bayern Munich, spoke appreciatively about the team's development on the streaming service Dyn: "Wenn sie allerdings so zu einer Mannschaft zusammenwachsen, und der Trainer immer so gut austauscht wie gestern, dann könnte es etwas werden."

Despite the sporting bright spots, Schlotterbeck's injury remains the dominant fact of the evening. The center-back, who had been regarded as an elegant build-up player, will be missed by the team in the decisive phases of the tournament. With Tah, Rüdiger, Anton, and Thiaw, Nagelsmann nominally has four center-backs available, but the squad depth at the heart of the defense has noticeably shrunk after the second casualty within just a few days.

Manuel Neuer, who has already participated in five World Cup tournaments for Germany, continues to be part of the team's regular lineup and is expected to also play the match against Ecuador. The final group match now stands under a sign of caution for the German side: further losses must be avoided at all costs, especially as replacements for outfield players are no longer possible and only one additional goalkeeper may be called up to the squad.

When Schlotterbeck will return to Germany remains unclear. His club Borussia Dortmund is apparently not planning surgery, but rather conservative treatment and rehabilitation initially. "Er wird zurückkommen," Nagelsmann said he was convinced – even though the 2026 World Cup will take place without the 26-year-old.