Giulia Gwinn ruled out of Germany squad after ankle injury in Bayern Munich win
Germany captain Giulia Gwinn will miss international matches against Australia and Japan after injuring her left ankle during Bayern Munich's 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Late injury in Frankfurt
Germany captain Giulia Gwinn suffered a left ankle injury during FC Bayern Munich's 1-0 away victory against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. The 27-year-old full-back twisted her ankle during a challenge in the closing minutes of the match at the Stadion am Brentanobad. Medical staff administered treatment on the pitch before assisting her to the sideline, where team trainers heavily bandaged her left ankle. The injury occurred just as Bayern closed out a fixture that extended the club's unbeaten streak in the Frauen-Bundesliga to 48 matches. Klara Bühl scored the only goal of the game in the 18th minute on a counter-attack in front of 5,750 spectators in a sellout stadium, allowing Bayern to control long stretches of play.
We are happy about every win. It is a nice feeling, it gives confidence.
National team adjustments
The German Football Association announced on Sunday evening that Gwinn is ruled out for the national team's upcoming home friendlies. Head coach Christian Wück called up VfL Wolfsburg defender Sarai Linder to take Gwinn's place on the roster. The national squad convenes on Monday in Heidelberg to begin preparations for the fixture against Australia on Friday at 20:30 in Karlsruhe, followed by the match against Japan on 13 October at 17:45 in Bremen. Wück's defensive unit is already depleted by injuries, with Kathrin Hendrich of 1. FC Köln and Rebecca Knaak of Manchester City unavailable for selection. Gwinn is scheduled to undergo thorough medical examinations in Munich on Monday to establish the precise diagnosis.
- Squad convenes in Heidelberg for international training camp
- Friendly match against Australia in Karlsruhe
- Friendly match against Japan in Bremen
Recurring fitness setbacks
The latest setback interrupts Gwinn's season shortly after her return from a three-month rehabilitation period following shoulder surgery. The defender had played through pain after injuring her shoulder in March of the previous year before undergoing an operation in the summer, which caused her to miss World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Slovenia in June. Gwinn, voted Germany's Footballer of the Year, has experienced several severe physical setbacks throughout her career. She suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in her right knee in September 2020, followed by a second cruciate ligament tear in her left knee in October 2022. In the opening match of the European Championship in the summer of 2025, she also sustained an injury to the medial collateral ligament in her left knee.
- Tears right knee anterior cruciate ligament
- Suffers second cruciate ligament tear in left knee
- Injures left knee medial collateral ligament during European Championship opener
- Misses World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Slovenia after shoulder surgery
- Sustains left ankle injury late against Eintracht Frankfurt
Bayern's domestic campaign
At club level, the 1-0 result in Frankfurt maintained Bayern Munich's perfect domestic start, securing six wins from the first six league rounds. Head coach José Barcala's side holds an early five-point advantage over Frankfurt in the table, while VfL Wolfsburg trails by three points after defeating Hamburger SV 2-1. Bayern entered the weekend following a demanding schedule that included a 2-2 draw with Manchester City and a 3-0 win against Benfica in the Champions League, as well as a 2-1 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB-Pokal. Bayern confirmed that Gwinn will not be available for Barcala's squad for the immediate future while awaiting the results of Monday's clinical evaluations.
