South Korea vs. Germany: Team News, Live Stream, TV Info for World Cup 2018

Germany can still finish atop Group F and take a priority place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup round of 16, but they will need a convincing win over South Korea on Wednesday to do so.

The holders must beat South Korea and rely on Sweden beating group leaders Mexico with a two-goal swing to leapfrog El Tri into first place.

Shin Tae-yong's side, meanwhile, have yet to claim a point from two World Cup outings and need a win to extend their stay in Russia, although a first-round exit looks to be their most likely fate.

Germany manager Joachim Low has already had to adapt to injuries and absences at this World Cup, and another changed lineup looks likely for the final fixture of their group campaign.

Read on for a preview of Wednesday's clash, complete with the latest team news, live-stream information and a look at the Group F standings.

Date: Wednesday, June 27

Time: 5 p.m. local time/3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET

Venue: Kazan Arena, Kazan, Russia

Live Stream: iPlayer (UK), Fox Soccer Match Pass (U.S.), fuboTV (U.S.)

TV Info: BBC One (UK)/FS1 (U.S.)

Group F Standings (Goal difference)

1. Mexico: 6 (+2)

2. Germany: 3 (0)

3. Sweden: 3 (0)

4. South Korea: 0 (-2)

Visit the official FIFA website for the full standings.

Team News

A potentially big problem is developing in the centre of Germany's defence after Jerome Boateng's red card in Saturday's 2-1 win over Sweden meant he would miss the South Korea match, with regular partner Mats Hummels already sidelined.

Low addressed the media on Sunday and said Hummels was "likely to play" alongside Antonio Rudiger in central defence, per Reuters' Karolos Grohmann despite missing the Sweden victory.

Germany assistant Marcus Sorg later voiced his confidence that the Bayern Munich man would return to the starting XI:

Borussia Monchengladbach's Matthias Ginter is one candidate to partner Chelsea defender Rudiger, though commentator Kevin Hatchard touted Niklas Sule as an option:

The possible absences don't end there for Germany. Sebastian Rudy suffered a broken nose against Sweden, though DW Sports said that hasn't ended his tournament:

According to Grohmann, it's also unlikely Mesut Ozil will regain his spot in the team after breaking a 26-start streak under Low when he was on the bench against Sweden, while Julian Brandt could start following his impressive substitute displays.

Ulsan Hyundai defender Joo-Ho Park is the only injury doubt for South Korea as he struggles to recover from a thigh injury, per the official Bundesliga website.

Preview

The end of Group F is more tense than many would have expected for Germany, who could exit a World Cup in its opening round for the first time since 1938.

Die Mannschaft departed the World Cup at the second group stage in 1978, but a defeat or draw against South Korea could lead to even greater embarrassment.

The Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) posted a graphic explaining the potential permutations for Wednesday, via Goal's Ronan Murphy:

The defending champions needed a 95th-minute free-kick from Toni Kroos to overcome Sweden, and though the narrowness of the result drew some criticism, their fortitude and knack for winning deserves the opposite.

South Korean supporters were left downbeat after the 2-1 defeat to Mexico on Saturday, and ESPN host Maximiliano Bretos noted their disappointed fanbase after their World Cup was all but ended:

Only a win over the titleholders will do at the Kazan Arena on Wednesday, but inconsistent displays against Mexico and Sweden have cast major doubts over whether that's possible.

Despite Kroos' late heroics on Saturday, Germany have left themselves in a position where a place in the round of 16 could still be snatched from them regardless of their result against South Korea. Falling out of their title defence at this stage would be a calamity for Germany, one of the major pre-tournament favourites whose future in Russia is already at stake.