Popp confirms she may fill in for injured Oberdorf in midfield
Seeking to win their first major title since capturing the gold medal in the 2016 Olympic tournament, the German Frauen-Nationalmannschaft possessed grounds for optimism following a convincing win over Austria in their final pre-tournament fixture. High spirits were nevertheless tempered by the news that a ligament tear would sideline team talisman Lena Oberdorf for the upcoming Olympic tournament in Paris.
Speaking to Germany's Kicker Magazine, squad captain Alexandra Popp confirmed that head-coach Horst Hrubesch had spoken to her about the possibility of filling in for Oberdorf in the six slot. With Oberdorf gone, Germany will certainly have to rely on the skipper to provide some much-needed cohesion and organization. The 33-year-old Popp no longer features in the attack as a starter, but can certainly contribute in other ways.
“In the final analysis, the coach decides where to line us up," Popp told Germany's preeminent footballing publication, "Of course, he's already spoken to me about the possibility of putting me in at the back. It wouldn't be the first time I've played in the back six, even at a tournament.”
“In the end, the decisive factor is that we play successful football," Popp continued, "If Horst feels like putting me on the six and then letting the other speedsters [Lea Schüller, Jule Brand, and Klara Bühl] play up front, then so be it. There's nothing to be said against playing in the six and then sometimes making a move towards the box in order to supply some attacking threat up front.”
Popp herself has been struggling with injury yet again. Persistent pain in her foot kept her out of the recent European qualifier against Iceland. Hrubesch tapped her for the Austria match, yet made it clear that she would remain on the bench throughout the game so as not to risk aggravating the injury. The VfL Wolfsburg professional declared herself satisfied with how her foot was holding up in the team's recent training sessions.
“I'm quite satisfied," Popp said "We've increased the training sessions a little over the last few days. My foot is doing well so far. When I'm on the pitch in a match, it's 100 percent that counts. It's possible that the foot might react a little more strongly.”