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Khedira out

Ross DunbarJuly 4, 2016

Joachim Löw must do without the midfielder for the Euro 2016 semi, while Bastian Schweinsteiger is doubtful. It is the latest injury concern for Germany after Mario Gomez's tournament was brought to an end on Saturday.

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UEFA EURO 2016 Deutschland vs. Italien
Image: Reuters/C. Hartmann

Germany head coach Joachim Löw has confirmed that midfielder Sami Khedira will miss Thursday's European Championship semifinal against France.

The 29-year-old lasted 15 minutes of the quarterfinal win over Italy in Bordeaux after tearing a muscle in his groin.

The Juventus midfielder was replaced by Bastian Schweinsteiger, who is also regarded as a doubt for Germany's next outing after suffering a knock to his knee against Italy.

"Sami Khedira is definitely not able to play on Thursday, we'll do everything to see if he can play in a possible final," said Löw at a news conference at Germany's headquarters in Evian.

If Schweinsteiger is also not fit for Thursday, one of inexperienced duo Julian Weigl or Emre Can could step into midfield.

Khedira's injury leaves Löw dealing with another selection issue ahead of the France match. Defender Mats Hummels is suspended after reaching the yellow card threshold, while striker Mario Gomez has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament through injury.

Benedikt Höwedes is expected to replace Hummels in the centre of defence if Löw returns to four at the back, with Julian Draxler possibly coming back in on the wing. Either Mario Götze or Thomas Müller will play upfront instead of Gomez.

A series of injuries have plagued Khedira in recent seasons and he featured in only two of Germany's Euro qualifiers, but had been ever present so far this tournament. He also missed the 2014 World Cup final after sustaining a calf injury in the warmup.