Women’s national team: national coach Wück sounds the alarm

Continuing injury misery

“Women’s football problem?” National coach worried

The German women’s national team has to cope with injury-related setbacks again – national coach Wück is sounding the alarm in view of the latest developments.

With Lena Oberdorf and Bibiane Schulze Solano, two players are returning to the DFB squad after a cruciate ligament tear and an injury break of over a year. Meanwhile, in the upcoming two Nations League semi-finals against France (October 24th and 28th), regular goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger is missing due to knee problems and striker Giovanna Hoffmann, who, like Oberdorf and Schulze Solano, has torn her cruciate ligament.

In view of these frequent, similar injuries, national coach Christian Wück made a clear statement on Tuesday when announcing the squad: “It’s an issue where we obviously have to think about why. Whether it’s a women’s football problem or whether it’s a problem of overload.”

The 52-year-old emphasized that the accumulation of serious knee injuries is not limited to the German team. Other nations such as France are also affected. “Overall, we have to think about how we can get this under better medical control.” The renewed failure of Hoffmann, who was supposed to play a central role in the knockout phase of the European Championships, is particularly difficult for him: “That hits us hard.”

There is also currently a question mark surrounding the severity of Berger’s injury. The initial assessment is that there is no cruciate ligament tear, says Wück. However, more detailed investigations would follow in the USA. He hopes “that she will be available again in the possible final or in the game for third or fourth place and then we can talk.” The finals are scheduled for the end of November and beginning of December.