The loss of Serge Gnabry leaves a gap at FC Bayern and the German national team. New candidates and variants are coming into play for the World Cup.
Long gone are the days when the German Football Association (DFB) was expensive Event locations rented to present a tournament squad. In order to illustrate the desire for the title, director Oliver Bierhoff led the entire delegation to the Zugspitze in May 2008 to create symbolism, although nothing came of the summit attempt at the European Championships in Switzerland and Austria.
Bierhoff’s lasting legacy is the opulent DFB campus in Frankfurt, which was sufficient for the presentation of Hansi Flick’s squad before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The press room on the ground floor is also sufficient for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA when Julian Nagelsmann announces his World Cup squad there on May 12th (1 p.m.).
There are 26 goals missing in 59 international matches
One name that played a central role in the national coach’s considerations will definitely be missing: Serge Gnabry. The 31-year-old started in each of the eight international matches of the World Cup season, scoring four goals and providing two assists. His DFB record with 26 goals in 59 international matches – the last a fine lob in the wild test against Switzerland (4:3) – reads well. And everyone knows the sentence from world champion coach Joachim Löw: “Serge Gnabry always plays with me.”
But Gnabry’s serious adductor injury now forces Nagelsmann to fill this offensive position. There are two obvious options: to push Florian Wirtz into the central role or to rely on Jamal Musiala. The 23-year-old is slowly getting back on track. From the middle he is just as active as Gnabry, likes to move to the wings, but is even more tricky and agile when dribbling at his best.
Good memories for Jamal Musiala
The exceptional talent’s recent appearances in the FC Bayern jersey are definitely encouraging. The champion’s game at FSV Mainz 05 (Saturday 3:30 p.m.) is actually made for the noble technician: In the arena at Mainz’s Europakreisel, Musiala put on a gala performance in a DFB Cup game (4-0) at the end of October 2024 when he scored three goals.
“Jamal is getting better every week”said DFB sports director Rudi Völler recently. The semi-finals will be tough tests Champions League against Paris St Germain (April 28th and May 6th, 2026), although Musiala has to suppress the fact that he broke his fibula against the French after a rough tackle by the then PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at the Club World Cup, which threw him off track for months.
Jamie Leweling and Chris Führich are flexible
The Munich player should now have his World Cup ticket securely, but Nagelsmann still needs another option on the attacking wing, where Kai Havertz and Wirtz started recently against Ghana, before Leroy Sané came in under whistles in Stuttgart. That’s where two professionals from VfB Stuttgart come into play: Jamie Leweling and Chris Führich were in the starting line-up in the cup semi-final against SC Freiburg (2-1 after extra time).
Both can cover the entire wing – and are therefore options if the system changes to a three-man chain. But they don’t quite have the playing class of Serge Gnabry. The 25-year-old Leweling has made four international appearances so far, while the 28-year-old Führich has nine DFB appearances to his name. If they were nominated, Leweling and Führich would probably travel to the national team’s training camp in Herzogenaurach (May 25 to 30) immediately after the DFB Cup final (May 23).
Is Karim Adeyemi still jumping on the World Cup bandwagon?
Another alternative would be Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund. The 24-year-old speed dribbler was not taken into account at the March international matches. It is also clear that Nagelsmann does not make decisions based solely on sporting criteria.
“At this World Cup we will be together for a super long period of time; seven, eight weeks if everything goes well”said the 37-year-old in an interview with Kicker. “Six weeks for the national team is like six months for club football.” That’s why DFB captain Joshua Kimmich finds Serge Gnabry’s loss so regrettable when he said: “It’s a very big loss as a footballer and a person.”
