The DFB women paid the first points in the Nations League expensive. Marie Müller suffered a cruciate ligament tear in training. Sophia Winkler was also seriously injured – according to Sportschau information, also on the cruciate ligament.
The mood was good when the German footballers had won a competitive victory in the Nations League on Tuesday evening in Nuremberg. After the 4: 1 against Austria, the players made a round of honor, accompanied by party music in the Max Morlock Stadium.
But there is actually nothing to celebrate. The first international game was overshadowed by two serious injuries, which the German Football Association only communicated in briefly.
Both injuries happened in training
On Wednesday evening (February 26th, 2025), the DFB reported that Nach nominated Marie Müller was successfully operated on the same day after the 24-year-old had already torn the front cruciate ligament in the right knee a week ago.
The defensive player, who was under contract with Portland Thorn FC, the long-time employer of the former national goalkeeper Nadine Angerer, injured herself in training after she traveled from the U23 national team from Portugal.
The detour to Frankfurt could not have run into the DFB campus. But Sophia Winkler had much more bad luck. Perhaps the most hopeful German goalkeeper was with one “Serious knee injury” Left from Nuremberg at the beginning of the week. Neither the DFB nor the SGS Essen have published a diagnosis so far.
Winkler threatens a failure of more than a year
According to Sportschau information, the 21-year-old has suffered a meniscus damage in addition to a cruciate ligament tear. Not excluded that cartilage and bones are also affected. A downtime of at least one year is feared. The SGS Essen will only publish a statement after further examinations and the operation, which has shifted to the next week due to the severity of the injury.
Trainer Markus Högner is still shocked by the long-term failure of his stammed goalkeeper, who has developed splendidly at the best training association of the women’s Bundesliga. “This is really bad for Sophia because she would have had good opportunities to drive to the European Championship and maybe also play”said the Högner of Sportschau, who changed the women of Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season.
The video by Sophia Winkler’s injury looks harmless
He looked at the video of the injury in said training under DFB instructions: The 21-year-old was kinked away without an opposing influence at a parade with his left knee, “That actually looked harmless”.
The complex knee injury with a corresponding downtime also affects Eintracht Frankfurt im Mark. The ambitious Bundesliga second Winkler, who had debuted against Switzerland (6-0) as a national goalkeeper, recently provided a contract with a contract until 2029 to be well positioned in this position.
Has seriously injured in training: goalkeeper Sophia Winkler
Winkler said about the contract signature in Frankfurt: “I have been in Essen for eight years and received my first invitations for the German A national team last year. After the right time, it feels to take the next steps from the summer to develop and measure at a top level.”
But now she will first have to complete a long rehab. It is already indicated that you are facing a very difficult path that requires great stamina. Eintracht will probably have to hire another goalkeeper, since the Stina Johannes used against Austria wants to switch to VfL Wolfsburg.
Marie Müller just dared to jump abroad
The U23 national player Müller was also slowed down by a training accident: the 24-year-old only dared to jump abroad a year ago and previously played 25 league games and a play-off game for the team from the US NWSL.
The DFB scouts had their good development in mind – and national coach Christian Wück is said to have been taken with the first impressions. It should also be thoughtful that such serious injuries occur.
Young players suffer from mental stress
The Högner, who was working at the national team at Steffi Jones himself as a assistant coach, does not want to reproach the DFB, but points out that certain relationships have been observed earlier, especially among younger players. “There is a lot of things on them in this phase. Often it is mental stress that creates a field of tension.”
Football, study, training or private life: it is often not easy to find the balance. Winkler had had exciting and exhausting week “Then these are many influencing factors who come together”Högner points out. Of course, the problem is complex and unexplored in parts.
Lena Oberdorf has also been missing for a long time
As the most prominent national player, Lena Oberdorf is currently out of action after a cruciate ligament and inner ligament damage suffered in July last year in the European Championship qualification game against Austria (4: 0). The 23-year-old took a long time to realize the severity of the injury.
Most recently, the midfielder, who was switched to FC Bayern, said: “My desired idea is that I can make it to the European Championship and can play a few games before.” But this is not certain, because the forced breaks vary greatly. What is new is the phenomenon that cruciate ligament cracks in women’s football occur significantly more frequently than in men.
As is well known, today’s sports director Nia Künzer is particularly plagued by this injury. The 44-year-old headed the Golden Goal in the 2003 World Cup final for Germany, but had torn a cruciate ligament for the third time this year. And just two months after her luck, the bad luck struck again in the form of a fourth cruciate ligament tear. Shortly afterwards she had to stop football.