Germany received a real shock ahead of the Euro 2024 quarter-finals as defender Antonio Rudiger appeared to limp off after the win over Denmark.
Rudiger was a doubt for Denmark's 2-0 win with a hamstring injury but battled through the pain to play the full 90 minutes for the fourth time this summer.
Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo reports that the 31-year-old player looked in bad shape after the game and was limping as he left Borussia Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park.
Rudiger has a week to prove his fitness, with manager Julian Nagelsmann likely to give the Real Madrid star plenty of rest given his status as one of the best defenders in the world.
Waiting for Germany in the quarter-finals will be the winner of the highly anticipated match between Spain and Georgia on Sunday evening.
If Rudiger fails to recover, Nagelsmann may return to Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah, who was suspended for the Denmark game and replaced by Nico Schlotterbeck.
Stuttgart's Waldemar Anton came off the bench against Denmark, while Leeds United's Robin Koch, who came on as an unused substitute, is an alternative to former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig manager Nagelsmann.
“I think we don't have more pressure than usual,” said Nagelsmann as he prepares to face Spain or Georgia. “I think the fans and the expectations of our fans are a big boost for us.
“We can deal with pressure. For me it's still luck and we also tell the players that it's a privilege to play football under pressure. All players are used to dealing with it, so there's no problem.”
Goals from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala got Germany past a scrappy, determined team, but they had to wait for their breakthrough after thunder and lightning forced players off the field for safety.
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