Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann issues playing time challenge to Bayern Munich’s Aleksander Pavlović

With Pavlović and Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller, Germany’s midfield looks to be in safe hands…but places are still up for grabs.

Julian Nagelsmann was undoubtedly given new life to the German national team. A part of that life is the young players who have been given key roles in the starting squad, VfB Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller (a former Bayern campus product) and Bayern Munich’s Aleksander Pavlović among them.

As reported by Frankfurter Allgemeine, Nagelsmann even went on to say that these two players would be perfect for the World Cup — the keys to Germany’s future engine room.

That is, if they can stick in the squad.

“They’re two players we are thinking about and who, in terms of their age structure, would actually be perfect for the World Cup,” said Nagelsmann of the duo (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “But if we stick with Pavlo — if his rhythm stays the same as it is now, with him playing a maximum of 50% [of games], then it will be tight. With Rob [Andrich] in Leverkusen he plays almost even less.

“If I have one concern with regard to the World Cup, it’s that some players are not playing enough. To have a really important role in the national team, you have to be a regular starter for the club, or at least play 70-80% of the games. But of course I will not go to Vincent Kompany and say: ‘Pavlo needs to play more’ — that’s not appropriate. Moreover, it’s the job of those who want to play at the World Cup to ensure that this is the case.”

So, is Aleksander Pavlović’s playtime over the next year going to be enough? Is this an opening that Leon Goretzka has managed to take advantage? Stiller is certainly getting enough playtime with VfB Stuttgart but Pavlović has been injured and suffered viral infections that have severely limited his playtime this season.

Bayern Munich and Germany are desperate for Pavlović to get healthy. There is no doubt in the midfielder’s ability when he is on his day.