Klopp names 44-player Germany squad for Nations League

Jurgen Klopp has named an expanded 44-player Germany squad split into two groups for his first matches as head coach, a bold move that includes 16 uncapped players and omits the nation's top scorer from the 2026 World Cup. The squad is designed to manage a congested schedule of four Nations League matches in September and October while providing an extended audition for players ahead of Euro 2028. Klopp's first group will face the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 and Greece in Augsburg on September 27. The second group will play Serbia in Munich on October 1 and Greece in Thessaloniki on October 4. The structure allows the manager to rotate players and manage workloads, with established stars like Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz expected to play a maximum of two matches. Among the notable inclusions are 16 players who have yet to earn a senior cap, such as Eintracht Frankfurt forward Younes Ebnoutalib, Koln winger Said El Mala, and Elversberg midfielder Felix Keidel, who was playing in the third tier less than 18 months ago.