Germany v Argentina World Cup 2014 Final: Mats Hummels could miss World Cup Final after suffering knee injury
The Borussia Dortmund defender has been suffering from tendonitis in his knee since the opening game of the tournament against Portugal
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Your support makes all the difference.Germany defender Mats Hummels is in danger of missing the World Cup Final after suffering a recurrence of the knee injury that has hampered him throughout the tournament.
The 25-year-old has been a rock at the heart of the Germany defence and has featured in every World Cup game under Joachim Löw, but was substituted at half-time during the 7-1 annihilation of Brazil in the World Cup semi-final.
He first suffered the knee injury in Germany's 4-0 win over Portugal in their opening game in Group G and, like Cristiano Ronaldo, has struggled to overcome the injury as the tournament has gone on.
And while Hummels is undergoing treatment in order to be fit for Sunday's final, it is believed that he may not recover in time to be fit for Sunday's Final at the Estadio Maracana.
Hummels admitted he has endured problems with the injury but hopes to be back in contention soon, although Per Mertesacker is set to deputise if the centre-half does not recover.
"I’ve had problems with it for a few days," Hummels said. "But for the first time it didn’t go away after warm-ups. In the match it got worse and worse.
"I made the decision that it’s perhaps better to take myself out so that I wouldn’t break anything. We’ll have to see exactly what it is.
"It’s not something tiny but fortunately I don’t think it’s anything that would endanger Sunday."
Germany first team coach Oliver Bierhoff remained confident that Hummels would be back in time.
"It’s a precautionary measure. We assume he’ll be able to play in the final," he said, after the team trained on Wednesday.
Germany face Argentina in Sunday's Final in Rio De Janeiro, marking the rematch of the 1990 Final which West Germany won 1-0.
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