BERLIN: Germany central defender Jerome Boateng has been ruled out of the world champions’ friendly international against England at Wembley on Friday, the team said on Wednesday.
Boateng has been nursing unspecified muscle problems, the German football association said in a statement, and would miss the game as a precautionary measure after a discussion with head coach Joachim Loew. It has not yet been decided if he will play in Tuesday’s friendly against France in Cologne.
Midfielder Toni Kroos also missed training on Wednesday, after being sidelined with a stomach virus.
The Germans, who topped their World Cup qualifying group with ten wins out of ten matches, have organised a series of high calibre internationals, including against Spain and Brazil in March, as they prepare for their world title defence in Russia next year.
Poppies for friendly
England and Germany’s players will wear black armbands bearing commemorative poppy motifs in Friday’s friendly at Wembley, the Football Association announced on Wednesday. It comes after world governing body Fifa backed down in its row with British football authorities over the wearing of poppies, which are worn to remember Britain’s war dead.
Friday’s match falls the day before the 99th anniversary of the Armistice signed by Britain and Germany at the end of World War I. “Remembering and commemorating the men and women who have served this country is ingrained in our nation,” said FA chief executive Martin Glenn. “I would like to thank the DFB (German Football Federation) for also agreeing to wear the poppy for the match, in a show of solidarity and unity at this important time.” — Agencies
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