National coach Hansi Flick’s considerations for his 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar are already well advanced.
As assistant coach Danny Röhl told the news portal “t-online”, “two thirds of the players” are roughly certain. He also added: “For the rest, we’re also looking at players who play in multiple positions and can therefore be ‘hybrid players’ for us.”
About a nomination of Werder Bremen’s striker Niclas Füllkrug, Röhl said almost two weeks before the squad was announced on November 10: “If we need someone for the last 20 minutes who is a penalty area striker and always good for a goal, of course he is one Option.”
Nevertheless, according to Röhl, after games like the Nations League games against Hungary (0: 1) and in England (3: 3) in September, “just a quick look at who was not there in the attack.” In general, the occupancy of the penalty area was not “as we had imagined.”
Furthermore, Röhl considered it possible that some seasoned professionals might not jump on the World Cup train. “Sure, we have to reckon with that. It will be painful for some players. Everyone wants to go to the World Cup with Germany. But we have to think about what is best for the squad,” he said. “Not only the tactical function, but also the interpersonal ones. It’s about team leadership, energy and mood.”
Wirtz still in the running
Röhl Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) and Lukas Klostermann (RB Leipzig), who are in recovery training after their injuries, gave hope for the tournament in the desert (November 20 to December 18).
While Wirtz returned to team training for the first time during the week after tearing his cruciate ligament in May, Klostermann was able to take part in the warm-up program again after suffering an injury to his left syndesmosis ligament in August.
“We want to find out whether such types of players are ready for the World Cup and if so, in what form. So when could he be used in the tournament?” said Röhl, who continued: “It is not impossible that we will take someone with us, who hasn’t played a minute yet. But it would be nice if at least one game could be played.”