Lennart Karl missed the World Cup due to a severe muscle injury. Now, the Bayern Munich prospect has spoken openly about the bitter setback and his journey back onto the field.
For Lennart Karl, his big dream of playing in the World Cup was shattered just a few days before the tournament began. The 18-year-old suffered a torn muscle bundle in his left anterior thigh during training with the German national team and had to cancel his trip to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico at the last minute.
In the meantime, the attacking talent has been working intensively on his comeback at Säbener Straße. In an interview with FC Bayern’s club media, Karl offered an emotional glimpse into his rehab and spoke openly about the difficult time following his injury.
“It’s really hard to come to terms with a setback like this. The first few days were really tough for me,” said the youngster. “My family helped me the most, as did my girlfriend and my closest friends, who have always stood by me. I’ve also received a lot of support from FC Bayern and many messages from the team. The messages I received brought me a lot of joy and gave me strength. Everyone made it clear to me: Injuries are part of the game; what matters is how you come back. That’s what drives me.”
Karl is working step by step toward his comeback
Karl has now begun his rehab at Säbener Straße and was able to return to the training field for the first time. However, normal team training is still out of the question.
“First of all, I was very grateful. When you’re back on the field, you realize just how much you’ve missed it all. It was also really cool to see the guys again: Serge [Gnabry, d. Red.] and David [Santos] have also resumed training. Unfortunately, I can’t be out on the field with them yet. For now, it’s just cycling and careful jogging—taking it easy. Only then will I head out onto the field for running drills and my first ball work. Still, it was a really important step for me.”
Karl also doesn’t want to rush things when it comes to the start of training with the team: “There’s not much time left until training starts on July 20. It’ll still be a while before I can join the guys for their sessions. Right now, the main thing is not to rush anything. I’m in daily contact with the doctors and athletic trainers; we’re monitoring the muscle’s response very closely.”
