Popp injury adds to Germany's problems

Germany have received another blow ahead of UEFA Women's EURO 2013 with the news that VfL Wolfsburg forward Alexandra Popp will be forced to miss out due to an ankle injury.

The 22-year-old underwent a medical examination at Germany's first training camp for this summer's finals in Sweden, and afterwards a statement from the German Football Association (DFB) declared that her injury "would not allow her to undergo strenuous preparations". Popp first suffered a ligament tear in her right foot on 12 May, although she appeared in Wolfsburg's UEFA Women's Champions League final win against Olympique Lyonnais 11 days later.

"We regret that Alexandra Popp is suddenly no longer available for selection," said Germany coach Silvia Neid, whose team will be targeting a sixth consecutive continental title next month. "We do have a responsibility to our players, though. Alex has to completely recover from her injury to avoid a long spell out. She is a young player who still has the potential to play at a high level. That is the reason behind our decision."

Following the news, Neid called up Isabel Kerschowski and Sara Däbritz as she continues to ponder her final squad selection. Popp's injury blow comes after her Wolfsburg club-mates Viola Odebrecht and Verena Faisst also had to declare themselves unavailable for Sweden 2013.