Julian Nagelsmann hints at surprises in Germany's World Cup squad
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has revealed that anticipates his final squad for the FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico this summer "won’t be met with huge understanding".
Germany begin their World Cup tilt on 14 June against Curaçao, with subsequent Group E fixtures against Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador. But who will be on the plane to the USA with Nagelsmann?
In an interview with German football magazine kicker, the 38-year-old said: "I can reveal that there will be decisions which probably won’t be met with a great deal of understanding."
Watch: Nagelsmann reacts to Germany's World Cup group
“Not from the players nor the wider public, because perhaps a player who is a regular starter and key performer at his club won't be in our starting XI.”
Asked to explain why, Nagelsmann said: “You have to pay extremely close attention to how a player deals with it if he’s a top-six player at his club, but is number 15 or 16 in the squad with us."
One beneficiary of that thought process could be a player he left out of his final roster for the 2024 UEFA European Championship: Leon Goretzka.
Watch: The best of Leon Goretzka
“As things stand, despite Leon having had less playing time at Bayern, he will have a good chance of playing and taking on a similar role to the one he had in the World Cup qualifiers because he’s someone who gets into the penalty area, is strong in the air and brings real physical presence.”
Bayern team-mate Aleksandar Pavlović and Borussia Dortmund's Felix Nmecha appear to be in a head-to-head tussle for a place in the squad, however: “For the more attacking role, we need a slightly different profile, but one of the two definitely has a good chance of playing.”
Watch: What makes Felix Nmecha so good?
One player guaranteed to be involved is Joshua Kimmich, who operates at right-back in the national team under Nagelsmann, while Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann also looks sure of a spot.
“Oli will be in goal in March and he'll do well again,” Nagelsmann said of the upcoming international break in which Germany will take on Switzerland (on 27 March) and Ghana (30 March).
“In general, the basic idea is that the March squad and the World Cup squad will be closely related.”
Nagelsmann will announce his squad for the friendlies on 19 March.
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