Germany have been forced into a big change in the World Cup Final, and they didn't even have players available to make a like-for-like switch. Defensive midfielder Christoph Kramer has been substituted with a head injury, with Andre Schürrle replacing him.
Christoph Kramer injured, replaced by Andre Schürrle
Kramer took a shot to the head well before he was substituted, but was allowed to continue the match. He played for around 10 minutes before Joachim Löw made a switch, and based on the blank look on his face when he left the pitch, he had absolutely no business being out there for as long as he was.
Because Kramer was a late replacement for Sami Khedira, who picked up an injury in warm-ups, Löw didn't have a real replacement. Schürrle will play on the wing, while Mesut Özil moves to central attacking midfield and Toni Kroos moves back to central midfield. Kroos is capable of playing in that position, but is not as good defensively as Khedira or Kramer, and his partner Bastian Schweisteiger is on a yellow card.
This is very, very good news for Lionel Messi.
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