Germany forward Timo Werner is the latest high-profile name announced to be missing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, after picking up an injury on Wednesday night.
RB Leipzig’s final Champions League group stage game ended in victory over Shakhtar Donetsk, but the former Chelsea attacker played only a few minutes before departing with an ankle injury.
Initially, it was hoped that the knock was not too serious, but subsequent scans have revealed a torn syndesmosis ligament, the club have confirmed.
As such, Werner will be out of action until the end of the calendar year, meaning an end to both his participation in the Bundesliga and his hopes of playing a starring role with the national team. Leipzig are yet to decide on the course of treatment, but he will not return this year regardless.
He joins the likes of Paulo Dybala, Diogo Jota and Paul Pogba who are all confirmed to be missing the tournament - while a whole host of other players face a race against time to prove their fitness.
That group includes several other members of Hansi Flick’s usual Germany squad, including goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (shoulder injury), Bayern Munich attacker Leroy Sane (thigh) and Bayer Leverkusen starlet Florian Wirtz (ACL).
Werner scored twice in the Nations League win over Italy in the summer and played in all six fixtures across the June and September internationals, being a regular performer for Die Mannschaft.
All told he has 24 goals in 55 caps - his absence will be a real blow for Flick, with only veteran attacker Thomas Muller having netted more for Germany in the current squad.
Germany are in Group E at the World Cup, where they will face Japan, Spain and Costa Rica. They also play a friendly against Oman beforehand in mid-November, where the manager will now have to find a formula in attack which works without Werner’s pace and industry.
