Calf injury set to keep Jerome Boateng out of Germany vs. France

As if it couldn’t get any worse for Germany right now, Die Mannschaft will be without Jerome Boateng for their next UEFA Nations League match against France. He’s already left the team’s hotel to return to Munich to receive treatment, and hopefully he’ll be fit on time for Bayern Munich’s league match against VfL Wolfsburg next weekend.

Per kicker, the center back pulled up with a calf injury during the second half of Germany’s 3-0 loss to the Netherlands and was unable to come off because Joachim Low had already made his three substitutions. The injury came during a sequence when the Netherlands had launched a counter-attack, catching Germany on their heels. When Boateng lunged in an attempt to make a tackle he pulled up rather gingerly before taking a seat on the pitch in what looked to be a considerable amount of discomfort.

For Germany’s next match against France, Boateng’s absence means that Low will likely have to start either Niklas Sule or Jonathan Tah alongside Mats Hummels, unless he decides to slightly alter the formation. Unfortunately for Low, Boateng is now the sixth player from the initial 23-man roster that he selected to have withdrawn through injury as Kai Havertz, Marco Reus, Antonio Rudiger, Leon Goretzka, and Kevin Trapp all pulled out of the squad just days before the Netherlands match. With the attacking firepower that France have at their disposal, an altered back line for Low and Germany is plenty of cause for concern with their backs against the wall.