Germany’s Dzsenifer Marozsan, left, and China’s Zhang Rui fight for the ball during the Women’s World Cup Group B match (AP)German midfield stalwart Dzsenifer Marozsan will miss the rest of the women’s World Cup group phase after breaking a toe in their Group B opening win over China on Saturday.
The 27-year-old midfielder, who helped Olympique Lyonnais to a record-extending 13th consecutive league title and fourth straight Champions League crown and won the French League’s best player award for the third year in a row, will miss their matches against Spain on Wednesday and South Africa next week.
“She has a broken toe and that means that we cannot count on her for the group phase,” Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg told reporters in France on Tuesday.
“We will try to get her back on the pitch at the World Cup, but I cannot give a precise prognosis.”
Germany, looking to return to the world elite, are unbeaten in their last 13 matches – the longest winning streak of any team in the tournament in France.
“I feel for her on a personal level. You cannot replace her because she has special qualities and abilities,” Voss-Tecklenburg said.
Germany won the World Cup in 2003 and 2007 but were eliminated in the quarter-finals in 2011 and finished fourth in 2015.
