Joshua Kimmich ruled out of Germany's World Cup squad with COVID-19

Bayern Munich star to miss tournament in Qatar after testing positive for virus

Nagelsmann confirms Kimmich will not travel with squad

Germany have been dealt a major blow ahead of the World Cup with the news that Joshua Kimmich has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the tournament in Qatar.

The Bayern Munich midfielder is a key part of Hansi Flick's plans, but he will now be forced to watch the tournament from home after returning a positive test.

Kimmich is the second high-profile player to be ruled out of the World Cup in recent days, following the news that France's Paul Pogba will also miss the tournament through injury.

Germany are due to begin their World Cup campaign against Japan on November 23, and they will be hoping to improve on their disappointing performance at the 2018 tournament, where they were eliminated in the group stage.

However, they will now have to do so without Kimmich, who is one of their most experienced and influential players.

Kimmich's absence is a major blow to Germany, and it will be interesting to see how Flick's team cope without him.

The Bayern Munich star is a key part of their midfield, and he will be difficult to replace.

Germany will now have to hope that the rest of their squad can step up and fill the void left by Kimmich.

They have a number of talented players at their disposal, but they will need to be at their best if they are to challenge for the World Cup.