The German handball players start into the world championship in their own country with worries about personnel. German national coach Michael Biegler fears for a few players before the opening match in Leipzig against Cameroon on Friday at 7 pm.
“We still have a little work to do. Not all of the players will be fit on Friday,”Biegler said at a press conference in Leipzig on Wednesday:”I assume, however, that all of the players will be able to play in the course of the tournament”.
Biegler did not want to comment any further on which national players are in danger. At the final rehearsal against Iceland (32:19) captain Anna Loerper (muscular fiber tear in the calf) and Xenia Smits (finger fracture) were missing.
Until the technical meeting on Friday morning, Biegler has to name a squad with a maximum of 16 players from the current 22-member line-up. In the course of the competition, three new players may be nominated. It is quite possible, however, that Biegler will initially only be appointing 15 players in order to have another opportunity to change positions during the course of the tournament.
In the preliminary round, Germany will face South Korea next to Cameroon (3rd place). December), Serbia (5th), China (6th) and runners-up Netherlands (8th). The best four teams in group D will reach the round of sixteen. The declared goal of the German Handball Federation (DHB) is the semi-finals.