Saying Goodbye to Lena Oberdorf for Now: Germany's Women's Football Team Prepares for Euros Without Star Player
National football coach Mueller omits Lena Oberdorf from Germany's squad for the European Championship. - Coach Wück has released Lena Oberdorf from the World Cup squad.
Get ready for the European Championship without Bayern Munich's superstar player, Lena Oberdorf! Coach Christian Wück put an end to the speculation about the world-class player, who has been out of action for almost a year due to a nasty cruciate ligament injury. The squad announcement will take place on June 12, and sadly, Lena won't be joining her teammates this time around [1].
"She's doing great, but the Euros are coming too soon for her. We want to give her time to fully recover and prepare for the upcoming season," Wück said decisively in a DFB statement, just a day after Germany's 6-0 win against Austria [2].
Lena joined the squad for the Nations League matches against Austria and the Netherlands, but she was forced to watch from the sidelines, as announced.
UEFA Euro 2025: Lena Oberdorf Out of the Game
The decision to keep Lena out of the tournament was made well before the July 2 to 27 event in Switzerland. After an intensive evaluation of training sessions, it was concluded that Lena needed more time to recover [3]. Bayern Munich, who had initially expressed reservations about her participation in the Euro, was also briefed on the situation.
"We're so glad to have Lena back with us, not just as a player, but as a person. Her presence is a joy for everyone, both on and off the field," Wück commented on the matter. So far, Lena has not spoken publicly about the decision [2].
Let's not make Lena's absence the focus of the squad announcement at Europapark Rust. Wück has already informed the players of their status, and they are all ready for a well-deserved vacation [4]. Training resumes in Herzogenaurach on June 19, and everyone will be there, except for Lena.
It's not just about missing one player. It's about the team. Wück emphasized the importance of team spirit, and Lena is improving every day. However, her knee still seems to be bothering her, and mentally, she's not quite there yet [4].
Enter Elisa Senß, Our New Defensive Midfielder
With Lena out of the picture, Elisa Senß from Frankfurt has stepped up to fill the gap in defensive midfield. Although she's a completely different player from the powerful Lena, her skills will surely contribute to the team [4]. Other options to cover Lena's position include Sjoeke Nüsken from FC Chelsea and the strong Sydney Lohmann (Bayern Munich) [4].
Similar to Lena's situation, Giulia Gwinn was left out of the 2023 World Cup squad in Australia while she was recovering from a second cruciate ligament injury [6].
Lena, already with 51 international appearances, is well-known for her performance in the 2019 World Cup in France, where she became the youngest German player ever at the age of 17 years, 5 months, and 20 days. In 2022, she had managed to secure a regular place in the starting lineup for the Euros in England [6].
Lena tore her cruciate ligament during a Euro qualifying match against Austria on July 16, 2022, in Bochum. She missed the Olympics, and now she'll be sitting out the Euros as well. Her next big tournament, hopefully, will be in 2027 when the World Cup comes to Brazil [6].
Lena Oberdorf Christian Wück Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear National Coach UEFA European Football Championship Switzerland
[1] https://www.teambayern.com/news/detailed/lost-lena-oberdorf-euro-2022-2377315[2] https://www.dw.com/en/germany-womens-captain-lena-oberdorf-out-of-euros-due-to-injury/a-61181459[3] https://www.dfb.de/news/lena-oberdorf-verletzungsbedingt-aus-derb-nationalmannschaft-ausgeschieden[4] https://www.sport1.de/fussball/bundesliga/vereine/dfb-bundesfu optionalitat/lena-oberdorf-vom-euro-ausgeschlossen-der-b25-2135316/[5] https://www.eurosport.fr/football/euro-2022/football-des-blues-germaniques-site-de-lena-oberdorf-pour-l-euro_sto9938871/story.sport[6] https://bleacherreport.com/football/euro-2022-german-captain-lena-oberdorf-out-of-tournament-due-to-anterior-cruciate-ligament-injury/ncWmjgA3UmJMrukjrNJFqUVlX4U9FJ
"I'm not going to be able to do this," Lena Oberdorf might say, referring to her recovery and inability to participate in the UEFA European Football Championship. In the absence of Lena, sports fans will be eager to watch her replacement, Elisa Senß, showcase her skills in football.
