Klopp names 44 players across two Germany squads and drops World Cup top scorer Undav

Jürgen Klopp named 44 players across two separate Germany squads on Thursday ahead of four Nations League fixtures, omitting Deniz Undav — the country’s leading scorer at the World Cup — along with Galatasaray winger Leroy Sané in a significant statement of intent from the new head coach.

The oversized selection turns upcoming matches against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia into an extended audition for places ahead of the 2028 European Championship in the UK and Ireland. Established stars such as Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz are expected to be limited to a maximum of two appearances each as Klopp seeks to manage physical loads and introduce new faces.

A notable portion of those called up have never represented Germany at senior level. Among the uncapped candidates are Elversberg midfielder Felix Keidel and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Younes Ebnoutalib, both of whom have limited top-flight club experience.

Undav had topped Germany’s scoring charts at the World Cup with three goals and two assists before the side were eliminated in a round-of-32 penalty shootout defeat against Paraguay — a result that ended Julian Nagelsmann’s tenure. Sané’s omission means the 80-cap winger will not add to his international tally under the new regime, at least for now.

Germany’s World Cup campaign was underwhelming throughout. They beat Curacao and Ivory Coast in the group stage before losing to Ecuador, then fell to Paraguay on penalties after a 1-1 draw. It extended a difficult decade for the national team, who have not won a major tournament since lifting the World Cup in 2014.

Klopp’s unconventional start in international management has already drawn attention. He previously stated he would consider resigning if media scrutiny became excessively intrusive — a remark that underlined the unusual terms on which he accepted the role.

The Nations League schedule is congested: Germany face the Netherlands on 24 September, Greece on 27 September, Serbia on 1 October and Greece again on 4 October. The dual-squad structure is designed to handle that workload, with the rules permitting player swaps between fixtures provided a 23-man matchday roster is submitted before midnight ahead of each game.