Nagelsmann: Musiala “doesn’t have that much time” – Nmecha is missing longer than Pavlovic

Nmecha is missing longer than Pavlovic

Jamal Musiala missed the start of the national team’s World Cup year due to renewed problems with his operated ankle. But will the 23-year-old be in top shape for the tournament in June? National coach Julian Nagelsmann also asks himself this question, without being able to give a clear answer.

“He doesn’t have that much time anymore. That’s beyond question,” said Nagelsmann before the friendly against Switzerland in the evening (8:45 p.m./RTL) in Basel. The DFB head coach will name the World Cup squad in mid-May and preparation for the tournament will begin at the end of May. “I trust him to get to 100 percent. He now has eight weeks left.” On June 2nd, the DFB entourage will travel to the USA.

A little over two weeks ago, Musiala was last on the pitch in FC Bayern’s 6-1 win against Atalanta Bergamo. A pain reaction in his left foot then forced him to take another break. At least he was now able to complete an individual session with the ball in Munich for the first time. “He’s just been away for a long time. I just want to keep my fingers crossed for him that his ankle gets better quickly, that nothing happens anymore, that he doesn’t feel anything anymore,” said Nagelsmann in Basel. “The important thing about Jamal is that he is healthy, that he is pain-free and that he can perform 100 percent and reach his level.”

Musiala broke his fibula and seriously injured his ankle at the Club World Cup in the USA last summer. He had to undergo surgery and was out until the beginning of the year. Since then he has appeared in eleven Bayern games and was directly involved in five goals (three goals, two assists) before another setback followed.

Nagelsmann described the current problem as follows: “If you are a player on the field, have pain, can tolerate it and your actions are at 100 percent, it doesn’t matter.” It is different “if you have pain that you cannot tolerate for various reasons”. Then the player is inhibited and cannot play freely. With a view to the World Cup, Nagelsmann said: “Jamal, like everyone else, has to be at 100 percent if he wants to play.” He played his last international matches a year ago in the Nations League quarter-finals against Italy.

DFB team: Nmecha’s injury was worse than Pavlovic’s

Also causing concern are the scheduled midfielders Aleksandar Pavlovic (hip problems) and Felix Nmecha (lateral knee ligament injury), who will also miss the international matches in Switzerland and against Ghana in Stuttgart next Monday. “With Felix it is much more dramatic than with Pavlo. I think he will come back quickly. With Felix it will take a while,” reported Nagelsmann.