The time until the start of the European Championship in seven months is running out. Julian Nagelsmann has to deal with a flood of rejections and personnel uncertainties. What options are available to the national coach?
Experiments or fixed processes? Hansi Flick was in this dilemma as national coach of the German national team. However, the decision will be made for his successor Julian Nagelsmann. There will not be a starting eleven that is remotely the same as in his double debut in the USA. This is mainly due to a Bayern block that is in poor health.
Bayern stars Musiala and Neuer are missing – Goretzka is questionable
With Jamal Musiala, one of the hopefuls in the offensive is certainly out, and Leon Goretzka and the former Munich player Mats Hummels are also questionable for the Turkey game on Saturday. With Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich, two Bayern top performers have also announced their ambitions again, both of whom had to pass for the trip to the USA. The big personnel puzzle for Nagelsmann is rounded off by Manuel Neuer, who voluntarily postponed his DFB comeback and the direct duel with Marc-André ter Stegen until next year.
All of these circumstances (Chris Führich also finally canceled on Tuesday) make it very difficult for the national coach to crystallize a well-rehearsed starting eleven by the start of the home European Championships. Nagelsmann still has exactly seven months left, and the opening game will take place in Munich on June 14th. The only solid pillars in the German team currently seem to be Leroy Sané, Ilkay Gündogan and Antonio Rüdiger. There is a lot of fighting for the remaining starting positions.
Müller, Gnabry or “the ugly birds”?
The numerous cancellations and cancellations are really throwing the competition into disarray. The convincing duo of Wirtz and Musiala is suddenly divided again; Thomas Müller or Serge Gnabry could be a beneficiary here. The “ugly birds,” as they call themselves, are forcing their way into this. Niclas Füllkrug and Marvin Ducksch once played together for Werder Bremen in the 2nd Bundesliga, and now they could soon play for Germany. Meanwhile, Kimmich wants to reclaim his place on the double six from newcomer Pascal Groß.
Defensive bottleneck: More goalkeepers than defenders
The defense, on the other hand, practically sets itself up. Curious: At the first joint training session on Tuesday, Nagelsmann had more goalkeepers (four) than central defenders (three) who were fit to play. On the defensive flanks, the German squad with Robin Gosens and Benjamin Henrichs is also on point. Nagelsmann had previously announced that he would focus on defense in the last two European Championship tests of the year.
It is still unclear whether Hummels (back problems) and Goretzka (muscular problems) can help with this endeavor and whether they will be fit again by the Turkey game. At least Hummels said when he arrived on Monday that he only needed two to three days to fully recover. Julian Nagelsmann still has a lot of work to do before kick-off on Saturday evening in the Berlin Olympic Stadium.
