Leroy Sane ruled out of Germany´s World Cup opener with knee injury

Leroy Sane will miss Germany’s World Cup opener against Japan with a knee injury, the German Football Association (DFB) has confirmed.

The Bayern Munich winger was absent from Die Mannschaft’s final training session in preparation for the Group E fixture at Khalifa International Stadium on Wednesday.

The rest of Germany’s squad took part in the session.

A DFB statement read: “The German national team must be without Leroy Sane in their World Cup opening game against Japan on Wednesday.

@leroy_sane will miss tomorrow’s opening game against Japan with a knee problem.

Get well soon, Leroy! #GER #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/JXKRCgac4T

— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) November 22, 2022

“The 26-year-old attacking player from champions FC Bayern Munich is unavailable against the four-time Asian champions due to knee problems. The remaining 25 players of the German World Cup squad took part in the final training session in Al-Shamal.

“After lunch, the four-time world champions’ squad head to Qatar’s capital, Doha, where captain Manuel Neuer and company will spend the night before the opening game.”

While the loss of Sane, who has scored 11 times in 45 appearances for his country, obviously represents a blow, head coach Hansi Flick does have a wealth of attacking options to choose from with Serge Gnabry, Julian Brandt, Mario Gotze, Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala all available.