Jürgen Klopp selected 44 players across two separate Germany squads on Thursday ahead of four Nations League fixtures, while opting to drop the nation’s top scorer from the World Cup.
Klopp’s double squad selection turns upcoming matches against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia into an extended audition for positions prior to the next major tournament, the 2028 European Championship in the UK and Ireland.
Established stars such as Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz are likely to be restricted to a maximum of two matches, as Klopp seeks to introduce fresh faces and manage physical demands on players.
The decision continues an unconventional start to his career in international football, having previously threatened to resign should he feel media scrutiny proved too intrusive or criticism became excessively overwhelming.
A significant portion of those called up on Thursday have never represented Germany at senior level, with candidates like Elversberg midfielder Felix Keidel and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Younes Ebnoutalib having played only a few top-flight club games.
The sole squad constraint during the league phase requires teams to submit a 23-man matchday roster before midnight ahead of each fixture, though players can be swapped between matches.
There was no place for Deniz Undav, who topped Germany’s scoring charts with three goals and two assists at the World Cup before a round-of-32 penalty shootout loss against Paraguay ended coach Julian Nagelsmann’s reign. Galatasaray winger Leroy Sané was also omitted, leaving him unable to add to his 80 international caps.
Germany stumbled through their group at this summer’s tournament, beating Curacao and Ivory Coast before losing to Ecuador.
They then suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Paraguay on penalties following a 1-1 draw. Germany have failed to win a major tournament since the 2014 World Cup, and have regularly underperformed over the past decade.
Klopp has brought in to try and turn their fortunes around, and his assignment will begin later this month.
Germany will face the Netherlands on 24 September, before taking on Greece three days later, Serbia on 1 October and Greece again on 4 October, and Klopp is set to use two squads to handle the congested schedule.
