Gnabry a Euro doubt as Dortmund final also alters Julian’s plans

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid’s progression to the Champions League final will impact Germany’s preparation for the home European Championship, which Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry (pic) might now miss due to injury.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann will have to do without players involved in the June 1 Champions League final at London’s Wembley when he hold his first pre-tournament training camp from May 26 to May 31 in eastern Germany.

“Of course it would be good if everyone was there,” Nagelsmann said recently.

Real’s Toni Kroos and Antonio Rüdiger, both set to start for Germany at the Euros from June 14-July 14, will therefore turn up late along with any Dortmund stars called up.

Nagelsmann, who will announce his provisional Euro squad on May 16, only picked one Dortmund player in his last squad in March – striker Niclas Fuellkrug.

Dortmund are only fifth in the Bundesliga but reaching the Champions League final is such an achievement that it might make Nagelsmann want to call up more Dortmund stars – especially as UEFA have said squads can now have 26 and not just 23 players.

At least Nagelsmann will have now his Bayern players available for the very start of the training camp after their semi-final loss to Real.

But it came at a cost with Gnabry hurting his hamstring again and Leroy Sane aggravating a groin problem.

Jamal Musiala is also not fully fit.

Only Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, rightback Joshua Kimmich and playmaker Musiala look like definite starters for Germany when they host Scotland in Munich in the Euro opener.

Veteran Thomas Mueller was also in the last squad.

Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are also in the German Cup final against second tier Kaiserslautern on May 25 so the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Tah and Robert Andrich may be allowed to join up with Germany a little later.