Birthday boy Reus misses Germany meet-up with illness / Photo: © AFP/File
Birthday boy Reus misses Germany meet-up with illness
Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus missed meeting up with the Germany squad Tuesday due to illness, four days before their Nations League game against European champions Italy in Bologna.
Reus, who turned 33 on Tuesday, did not travel to the Germany team base in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, as he has "signs of an infection", the German FA (DFB) said in a statement.
Germany have a tough run of Nations League fixtures as they also host Euro 2020 runners-up England in Munich next Tuesday and play Hungary away four days later before returning home to face Italy in Moenchengladbach on June 14.
Reus will join the Germany team if he recovers in the coming days.
The winger has earned 48 caps since 2011 but his international career has been blighted by fitness problems.
Torn ankle ligaments in a warm-up game cost him a place in the squad which won the 2014 World Cup. He then made himself unavailable for Euro 2020 because of fatigue.
Reus returned to the Germany squad after a two-year break last September to play in World Cup qualifying wins over Lichtenstein, Romania and Armenia.
However, he missed the victory over Israel and the draw with the Netherlands in March friendlies with illness.
S.O'brien--TNT
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