'My World Cup dream is over' admits Germany's Stindl

Berlin (AFP) – Lars Stindl admits his World Cup dream is over as he awaits an ankle operation, capping a bad week for injuries to Germany players.

Stindl was helped off the pitch in the first half of Borussia Moenchengladbach’s 1-1 draw with Schalke on Saturday.

An examination has revealed torn ligaments in the left ankle, ruling him out of the finals in Russia, which kick-off on June 14.

“To injure yourself so badly at this time is very hard,” said Stindl on crutches in Moenchengladbach with his foot in a cast on Sunday.

“For one thing, I can’t help the (Moenchengladbach) team in an important part of the season, on the other, it is bitter that my World Cup dream is over.”

Stindl, who scored the winning goal in last July’s Confederations Cup final in St Petersburg, is the latest Germany international to have had his World Cup dreams dashed.

Hoffenheim’s ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry was also ruled out on Friday after tearing his groin against Hanover. 

While Stindl and Gnabry are out of World Cup contention, Bayern Munich stars Manuel Neuer and Jerome Boateng are battling to be fit.

Boateng picked up a groin injury against Real Madrid last Wednesday, while Neuer has missed the last seven months recovering from a fractured metatarsal.

Head coach Germany Loew will name Germany’s World Cup squad on May 15.

Loew has said he is planning on Neuer, Germany’s captain and star goalkeeper, being involved for their pre-World Cup camp from May 23 to June 7 in northern Italy.

“Of course he will have to catch up a bit,” commented Loew, with Neuer having last played in September.

Germany begin their defence of the World Cup title against Mexico in Moscow on June 17.