“We can’t decide until tomorrow”
Showdown against Slovakia: Will the captain return?
November 16, 2025 – 6:49 p.mReading time: 1 min.
Both were missing against Luxembourg. Captain Joshua Kimmich and defender Nico Schlotterbeck will probably be back in the fight for a direct World Cup ticket.
Before the decisive qualifying game against Slovakia, national coach Julian Nagelsmann is confident about the return of Nico Schlotterbeck and Joshua Kimmich. The Dortmund central defender’s foot injury is healing well and Schlotterbeck will train as normal – in contrast to Kimmich, who suffered a capsule injury two days before the 2-0 win in Luxembourg.
Nagelsmann emphasized before the duel on Monday (from 8:45 p.m. in the t-online live ticker) that DFB captain Kimmich still needs a bit of rest, but doesn’t necessarily need to train either. “We can actually only decide tomorrow whether it will work,” said Nagelsmann. The national coach added: “Anyone who knows Joshua knows that he is very, very reluctant to say no to this game. From that I assume that he can play.”
The starting position before the last group game is clear: a draw would be enough for Germany to qualify directly for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico. In the event of a defeat, the team would have to go to the playoffs. However, the national coach doesn’t want to know anything about this possibility. “The team seems very determined and focused,” emphasized Nagelsmann. He even finds the special tension before the game in Leipzig appealing.