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Captain and keeper missing

May 21, 2014

The German national team has departed for South Tyrol, without Bayern Munich stars Philipp Lahm and Manuel Neuer. Germany's captain and goalie are racing to recover from cup final injuries in time for Brazil.

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DFB - Pokalfinale 2014 Borussia Dortmund gegen Bayern München
Image: Pretty/Bongarts/Getty Images

Joachim Löw's World Cup hopefuls set off for the north of Italy missing two key faces on Wednesday, after Philipp Lahm injured his foot and Manuel Neuer hurt his shoulder in Bayern Munich's German Cup victory on Saturday. Presuming they recover in time, both players would be almost guaranteed a spot in the German starting 11 in Brazil.

Lahm sought to play down comparisons with the injury to Michael Ballack that kept Germany's former captain out of the 2010 competition in South Africa, saying he expected to join his teammates on Friday.

"This does indeed mean a couple of days rest, but I will be fully fit in time for the World Cup," Lahm told mass-circulation daily Bild.

Manuel Neuer Schulterverletzung
German doctor Müller-Wohlfahrt has his hands fullImage: picture-alliance/dpa

It was not immediately clear when 28-year-old goalie Manuel Neuer would rejoin the German squad. Lahm was substituted in the first half of the German Cup final on Saturday, while Neuer was able to play through the pain after sustaining his injury late in the match.

Central defender Per Mertesacker will also travel to the training camp a day late, so that he can spend an extra day with his newborn second child. Sami Khedira, meanwhile, has another club match to play before he can concentrate on the World Cup: the Real Madrid midfielder may be needed in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

Joachim Löw must nominate his final 23-player squad for the World Cup by June 2, the day after Germany's next pre-tournament friendly, against Cameroon.

Lahm 'not going to Brazil to sunbathe'

Bayern's 30-year-old captain also told Bild on Wednesday that stability at the back should be a key focus of training in South Tyrol.

"Above all, we must work on our defensive game. Recently we have conceded far too many goals, given away too many clear-cut chances," Lahm said. "I don't want to drop out in the semifinals or travel to Brazil to sunbathe. I have a clear goal, and that is of course the biggest prize possible, the World Cup."

Germany will seek to end a 24-year World Cup drought in Brazil, starting against Portugal on June 16. Lahm, like all of his teammates, has never won a major international trophy for his country, with the last German success coming at Euro 1996 in England.

msh/hc (dpa, SID)