Injured Mario Gomez will miss the action against Italy this Wednesday
Bayern Munich stalwart, Mario Gomez has been ruled out of the friendly game against Italy; the game is set to be played on Wednesday later this week. The 25-year-old damaged the ligaments in his right knee and the scans have confirmed that the player is
likely to remain sidelined for the next two weeks. Gomez received the injury while playing against FC Cologne on the weekend. Cologne, the 16th ranked team in the league inflicted an upset over the reigning Bundesliga champions.
Mario Gomez has been serving the national team since 2007 and has ushered the ball into the net fourteen times in 41 matches. He made his international debut on February 7, 2007 against Switzerland; Germany bagged the win 3-1 with Gomez finding the score
sheet.
Gomez has been in sublime form for Bayern Munich this season, scoring 16 goals in 19 appearances while also adding an assist. As things stand, the Bavarian giants are fifth in the league table and Gomez’s injury will severely dent their Champions League
ambitions for next season.
Gomez was called up in the finalized national team squad last Friday, but the injury saw him getting his name scratched off the team list. Furthermore, latest reports indicate that midfield stalwart, Michael Ballack is still not fit enough to take the field
against Italy. Ballack got his leg fractured last year and he is still in the recovery phase. However, the medical team has confirmed that the midfielder will be up and running by the time Euro 2012 qualifiers start later in March this year
With Mario Gomez set to miss out on international action, Joachim Low is likely to give Miroslav Klose, Gomez’s teammate at Bayern, a starting role. The 32-year-old has appeared in 105 international matches over the last ten years. However, the Die Mannschaft
legend has seen limited first team action owing much to Gomez’s supreme form. Klose has played only nine games in the current Bundesliga season. Despite this fact, Low still thinks the player has got the flame in him to put up a great show.
With Mario Gomez and Michael Ballack ruled out of the game against the Azzurri, the coach has named two youngsters for the national squad. Borussia Dortmund young guns, Mario Gotze and Mats Hummels had great outings against Sweden in November, and the coach
is likely to provide them with further opportunities. Even though, the team drew the match goalless, both Gotze and Hummels managed to impress Joachim Low.
Although the team has got experience in the shape of Klose and young blood like Gotze and Hummels, Germany is still likely to face hard time against Italy with two of their hit men missing.