GERMANY’S 2019 WOMEN’S World Cup hopes have suffered a hammer blow with confirmation coming this afternoon that their ‘irreplaceable’ captain and playmaker Dzsenifer Marozsan could miss the remainder of the tournament.
The Lyon star has been ruled out for the rest of the group stages, at least, after breaking her toe.
Marozsan sustained the injury to the middle toe on her left foot during her side’s win over China on Saturday but played through the pain, head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg revealed.
“Anyone who has broken a toe knows how much it hurts. She really gritted her teeth and put herself in the service of the team,” Voss-Tecklenburg told reporters this morning.
“We got the diagnosis after the game and we now won’t be able to count on Dzseni for the rest of the group stage,” she added, saying they were hopeful for a return to action “before the end of the tournament”.
”You can’t replace her because of the special abilities she possesses. We will have to compensate as a team.”
It comes as another heartbreaking blow for the 27-year-old after she missed three months of the season just gone following a pulmonary embolism (which occurs when a blood vessel in the lungs is blocked).
Germany got their bid for a third World Cup crown off to a winning start in Rennes on Saturday, beating China 1-0 in Group B.
While 19-year-old ace Guila Gwinn scored the game’s only goal, Marozsan — alternating between striker and playmaker — directed most of the German’s attacks.
They now go into their second group match against Spain tomorrow [KO 5pm, live on RTÉ] without their talisman, before facing Russia next Monday.
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