Germany are facing injury fears ahead of their Euro 2024 quarter-final with centre-back Antonio Rudiger being seen limping after their win over Denmark.
Rudiger had been in doubt for the 2-0 win over Denmark because of a thigh muscle injury but played through the pain to play the full 90 minutes for his fourth time this summer.
Spanish version Mundo Deportivo According to reports, the 31-year-old looked slightly exhausted after the match and was seen walking with a visibly limp as he left Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park stadium.
Rudiger has a week to prove his fitness and coach Julian Nagelsmann is likely to give the Real Madrid star as much rest as possible given Rudiger’s status as one of the best centre-backs in the world.
Awaiting Germany in the quarter-finals will be the winner of Sunday night’s highly anticipated match between Spain and surprise team Georgia.
If Rudiger does not recover, Nagelsmann could opt to re-launch Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah, who replaced Nico Schlotterbeck in the Denmark game after being suspended.
Stuttgart’s Waldemar Anton was on the bench for the Denmark game but Leeds United’s Robin Koch, who did not feature, is another option for former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig manager Nagelsmann.
“I don’t think we feel any more pressure than usual,” said Nagelsmann ahead of the upcoming matches against Spain or Georgia. “I think the fans and their expectations are a big boost for us.”
“We can handle the pressure. For me it’s still a privilege and we tell the players it’s a privilege to play football under pressure. They’re all used to dealing with it so it’s fine.”
Goals from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala saw Germany beat a resilient and determined team, but their success had to be awaited after a heavy thunderstorm forced players to evacuate the field for their safety.