Germany Squad vs. Finland: Kai Havertz’s Absence Explained and Return Timeline

The German national team will be without Kai Havertz for their penultimate pre-World Cup test match against Finland. Why is the FC Arsenal player missing, and how long will he be out of action?

The German national team will have to do without Kai Havertz in their test match on Sunday, May 31, 2026, against Finland. When the kick-off sounds at 8:45 PM in the MEWA Arena in Mainz, the FC Arsenal offensive player will not be on the field.

While Havertz is not currently injured and would theoretically be available, it is not possible for the 26-year-old to play against Finland. The reason for this is the Champions League final, which Havertz played with FC Arsenal against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday evening. The offensive player will only join the DFB team afterward – since the German national team’s match against Finland kicks off just about 24 hours after the Champions League final, Havertz’s participation comes too soon.

Accordingly, the 26-year-old will only be absent from the German team for the match against the Finns. Havertz will be an option again for the very last test before the World Cup against the USA on June 6.

In any case, the Arsenal star is one of the firm pillars in Julian Nagelsmann’s team. «On the pitch, you are outstanding. Incredibly important for us. Stay healthy, clear your head and get going,» the national coach said recently in the emotional nomination video for the World Cup: «You have everything we need to have a top goalscorer up front.»

Germany, Lineup and Squad vs. Finland: Injured or Suspended? Why Kai Havertz Isn’t Playing and How Long He’ll Miss for the DFB Team — Probable Lineup

In addition to Havertz, Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer will also be missing from the DFB team against Finland – the match comes too soon for the returning player after a calf injury. Apart from that, Nagelsmann can draw from his full squad and call upon all the players nominated for the World Cup.

The probable lineup:

DFB Team: Baumann — Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown — Pavlovic, Nmecha — Karl, Musiala, Wirtz — Undav

Germany, Lineup and Squad vs. Finland: Injured or Suspended? Why Kai Havertz Isn’t Playing and How Long He’ll Miss for the DFB Team — TV and Livestream Broadcast

The test match between the German and Finnish national teams will be shown live and in full length on free-to-air TV on ZDF. Live coverage from Mainz starts at 8:15 PM, half an hour before kick-off.

Katrin Müller-Hohenstein will be the presenter, with Christoph Kramer, Per Mertesacker, and Friederike Kromp serving as the expert trio. The match will be commented on by Oliver Schmidt.

In addition to the classic TV broadcast, ZDF also offers a free live stream. You can access this on sportstudio.de.

Germany, Lineup and Squad vs. Finland: Injured or Suspended? Why Kai Havertz Isn’t Playing and How Long He’ll Miss for the DFB Team — German Squad for the 2026 World Cup