National coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg does not yet dare to predict how long full-back Felicitas Rauch will be absent from the World Cup in Australia.
“It wasn’t a good moment in training, it was a blocked shot where the knee was sprained,” said the 55-year-old at the German team’s final press conference ahead of Sunday’s second group game in Sydney against Colombia. “Nevertheless, we’re glad that there wasn’t an even worse diagnosis. I can’t say exactly how long the downtime will be.”
The last preliminary round game for the Vice European Champions is next Thursday in Brisbane against South Korea. Rauch sprained his knee in Wyong on Friday. At that moment, thoughts quickly came up about two German defenders who were missing in Australia due to cruciate ligament tears: Giulia Gwinn had already sustained this serious injury last year, but without match practice she did not make it into the World Cup squad. The accident happened to her Bayern colleague Carolin Simon in the last friendly before the tournament against Zambia.
“Help us now more than ever”
“This is the third full-back who breaks away from us due to an injury,” Voss-Tecklenburg complained, but emphasized that this tends to weld the team together: “We will accept this challenge as a whole team, we also draw energy from it. We are helping each other now Especially and we have complete confidence in every single player.”
Rauch could be replaced against Colombia by her future Wolfsburg club colleague Chantal Hagel (previously TSG 1899 Hoffenheim). Sophia Kleinherne would also be an alternative, but actually plays in central defense or on the right. According to Voss-Tecklenburg, Lena Oberdorf, Marina Hegering and Sjoeke Nüsken, who were injured and not used in the 6-0 opening win against Morocco, are in the squad as expected.
The expected lineups:
Germany: 1 Frohms – 9 Huth, 3 Hendrich, 23 Doorsoun, 2 Hagel – 6 Oberdorf – 20 Magull, 13 Däbritz – 22 Brand, 11 Popp, 19 Bühl
Kolumbien: 1 Perez – 17 C. Arias, 19 Carabali, 3 D. Arias, 2 Vanegas – 5 Bedoya Durango, 6 Montoya – 11 Usme, 10 Santos, 18 Caceido – 9 Ramirez
Referee: Melissa Borjas (Honduras)
