Juggling his squad, coach Julian Nagelsmann has welcomed midfielder Angelo Stiller from VfB Stuttgart to his team. After Germany's disappointing quarterfinal exit against Spain in the Euros, Stiller received his call-up 55 days later for the Nations League matches against Hungary on September 7 in Düsseldorf and the Netherlands on September 10 in Amsterdam.
As for the captain's role, Nagelsmann is yet to clarify, with Joshua Kimmich being the obvious frontrunner. With key players Toni Kroos and Iłkay Gündoğan departing, Nagelsmann is in need of two midfield replacements. He highlighted Stiller's past achievements and current form, praising his team's overall performance at the Euros and expressing a desire to provide his Euro squad with opportunities to shine in post-tournament games.
While defender Antonio Rudiger is having some well-deserved rest following a demanding summer, Leroy Sane too is enjoying a recovery break, having undergone groin surgery. Serge Gnabry, Sane's Bayern teammate, did not make it back into the national team despite his impressive start to the season. Both Alexander Nübel (Stuttgart) and Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich) are back in the squad, having missed out on the Euro due to illness. There are plans to replace Manuel Neuer with Terry Stegen as the new number one goalkeeper.
Under Nagelsmann's guidance, Germany will compete in six international matches this year, all part of the Nations League. Their opposition includes Hungary, the Netherlands, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, twice each by November. Around 43,000 tickets out of 49,235 for the Hungary match have been sold.
Nagelsmann expressed the need for Stiller to fill the midfield spots vacated by Kroos and Gündoğan. Despite Rudiger and Sane's absences due to rest and injury, the team has regrouped, with Nübel and Pavlovic returning to the squad for the upcoming Nations League games.
Additional Insights
- Antonio Rudiger's injury: Rudiger, currently stationed at Real Madrid, sustained a muscle injury in his right leg's biceps femoris during their match against Espanyol on Saturday. He is expected to be out for approximately 20 days, which means he will likely miss the upcoming Nations League games against Hungary and the Netherlands[1].
- Leroy Sane's situation: As of now, there is no concrete information indicating that Leroy Sane is injured or unable to participate in Germany's upcoming Nations League matches. However, his contract with Bayern Munich expires this summer, with other clubs such as Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur reportedly expressing interest[5].
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