Rani Khedira faces fatigue risk after Tunisia debut trip

Rani Khedira has fulfilled a personal dream in recent days, finally making his debut for the Tunisia national team but the price has been a brutal schedule and very little chance to rest.

The 32-year-old Union Berlin midfielder started both games on the North American tour, playing 73 minutes in the 1:0 win over Haiti and 70 minutes in the 0:0 draw with Canada.

The unusual routine hit him hard. “We had to adapt to the conditions. Because we were training at FC Toronto, we had to move everything later. Training felt like 1 a.m. for me, and at 4 a.m. – so 11 p.m. local time – we had dinner,” Khedira explained. With Union’s crucial Bundesliga match against St. Pauli coming up on Sunday, the timing is far from ideal, as he is not expected back in Berlin before Thursday and will have minimal recovery time.

Despite the jetlag and physical strain, coach Steffen Baumgart is still likely to rely on his leader in central midfield, where Khedira’s structure and stability are vital in the relegation fight. All signs point to him gritting his teeth and starting again, helped slightly by the Sunday kickoff.