Corona is also a World Cup risk for the national football team. That was clear to Hansi Flick after the failure of captain Neuer and midfielder Goretzka.
Frankfurt / Main – Now Hansi Flick has to improvise. Shortly before the Nations League game against Hungary, the coach of the national team is working on a plan B after the annoying Corona failure of Captain Manuel Neuer and Leon Goretzka. Bayern expert.
The first corona case in the DFB circle with direct consequences for the national football team in the year of the World Cup made head coach Flick immediately aware that the pandemic could endanger his ambitious title program in the tournament in Qatar in two months.
Flick immediately wanted to send his team into the World Cup tunnel today. You have to “get into competitive mode and be there from the start,” was the 57-year-old’s original criteria.
But now the doctor-prescribed corona ritual is running in the DFB Hotel in Gravenbruch. Does it interfere with long-term concentration? Jonas Hofmann – himself lost the international competition by Corona in 2021 – mentioned the “warning bells” that have already been heard. More cases before the planned trip to Leipzig by train on Thursday afternoon are sure to cause unrest.
Two failures are still not obstacles
The rules of UEFA for the home game in Leipzig on Friday (8.45 pm / ZDF) against the leaders of Hungary and the classic on Monday (8.45 pm / RTL) at Wembley in London against England are clear. Two failures are still not obstacles. Must play as long as both teams have at least 13 healthy players.
If this is not the case due to corona infection, an alternative date will have to be found. There is no one in the strict schedule, which means that the game will receive a score of 0: 3 against the team responsible for the cancellation – a very theoretical discussion despite the departure of Neuer and Goretzka.
Marc-André ter Stegen may be in goal instead of Neuer. Ilkay Gündogan is an alternative to Goretzka in the middle of the defense however. Flick appointed two goalkeepers in goalkeeper Oliver Baumann and Maximilian Arnold from VfL Wolfsburg. Also, Julian Brandt of Dortmund had to leave, not because of Corona, but because of an infection.
Flick scheduled training on Thursday in the campus in Frankfurt for 11 am, a little later than the previous day. At 12:45 p.m., strikers Timo Werner and Flick will answer questions in the press conference, including about Corona and Plan B.