World Cup 2018: 5 Reasons Why Germany Won't Defend Their Title

#2 Injury problems

Jerome Boateng is one of many Germans who 'recovered' just in time for the World Cup

Joachim Löw had more big decisions to make than he hoped for prior to selecting his 23-man squad for the World Cup. The manager didn't just have to judge the quality of several players, but also their fitness, ahead of making the cut.

While the protagonists themselves will claim that they have fully recovered from their injuries, the amount of players returning just in time to board the plane to Russia is insane. Therefore, it's certainly possible that this could come back to haunt the champions in the long run.

Neuer, Boateng, and Özil all closed out the season with injuries, whereas Marco Reus only returned from his torn cruciate ligament in February. Germany's strength in depth may be better than ever but, unfortunately for the champions, they might also have to depend on having it.

Some injuries can surely be compensated due to the highly talented backup players available. However, should Neuer or Boateng suffer from an injury setback, the aforementioned lack of leadership in the squad will become even more apparent.