DFB team: National coach Flick makes filling jug and Hummel’s World Cup hope

“There is a clear agreement”

National coach Hansi Flick has praised Werder Bremen’s striker Niclas Füllkrug, but does not want to commit himself to a World Cup nomination. “We see that Niclas has skills that can enrich our game. In general: A tall, athletic forward in the penalty area would make our attacking game more variable,” Flick told Stern magazine. The 29-year-old, who is still waiting for his first international match, is currently the top scorer in the Bundesliga with nine goals.

Flick also leaves open a nomination of the Dortmund defensive veteran Mats Hummels. “There is a clear agreement with him on how we will proceed in relation to the World Cup. But that’s between us. The fundamental question here is: are we taking an experienced player with us to Qatar? Or do we think about the future, nominate a youngster and give him the chance to prove himself at the highest level?” said the former Bayern coach about the 2014 world champion.

DFB squad: Flick takes responsibility for Rüdiger and Gündogan at the World Cup

With a view to the leader role in his team, Flick takes Ilkay Gündogan and Antonio Rüdiger to task. “Manuel Neuer is our captain, he will be a leader again at the World Cup. I wish that Ilkay Gündogan would find more of a role like this. He captains Manchester City, a world-class team. Ilkay has everything to be an absolute leader with us. Likewise Antonio Ruediger. Before joining Real Madrid, he was the undisputed leader at Chelsea. I also trust him to play an even bigger role in the national team,” said the DFB coach.

Race against time: Reus hopes for World Cup place

For Marco Reus from Borussia Dortmund, however, the prolonged downtime due to an ankle injury is becoming more and more of a problem. Without match practice, it will be difficult for the 33-year-old veteran, who has missed two major tournaments in the past through injury and played his last game over 90 minutes in early September, to get a place in the squad for the Winter World Cup in Qatar.

BVB coach Edin Terzic will also be without the attacking midfielder in the upcoming Champions League game in Copenhagen on Wednesday (9:00 p.m./in the TM live ticker), but was confident about his recovery. “Marco completed the entire training session yesterday, but it wasn’t enough. He will return to team training on Thursday with the big goal of being back in the squad against Bochum on Saturday,” said the 40-year-old on Tuesday after the final training session.

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According to media reports, Reus is on the list of 55 players that national coach Flick had to send to the world association FIFA by October 21, but whether he also belongs to the group of 26 professionals who will finally be nominated for the tournament on November 10, seems more and more uncertain. After the failure for Copenhagen, Reus can only recommend himself for a place in the World Cup in the Bundesliga games against Bochum and in Wolfsburg. The last game of Westphalia before the World Cup break in Mönchengladbach will only take place one day after the nomination.

In view of the short preparation before the start of the tournament, Flick should hardly rely on players with a large training deficit. “We hope that everyone we have in mind will also be fit,” said the national coach recently. So things could get tight for Reus.

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