A couple of notable absentees could make their return, while some other prominent names could miss out.
It has been reported that Germany national team coach Julian Nagelsmann will announce his squad for the UEFA Nations League Final Four on the 22nd of May. Some familiar faces could make their comeback just in time for the mini-tournament hosted in Germany.
For one, striker Niclas Füllkrug could return to the squad. Füllkrug has not featured in Germany’s squad since last September. His last appearance for the national team was in the 5-0 win over Hungary in Düsseldorf, in which he scored the opening goal. Füllkrug was a mainstay in Germany’s squad since his debut in late 2022, but mixed form and injuries after his move to West Ham United have seen him left out of the national team for the likes of Tim Kleindienst and Jonathan Burkhardt, among others.
Another player set to make his comeback is Marc-André ter Stegen. Germany’s new No. 1 after Manuel Neuer’s international retirement has also had bad luck with injuries, with a ruptured patella tendon causing him to miss the majority of the 2024/25 season for club and country. His last squad appearance was also last September. While Oliver Baumann has done a fine job filling in for Ter Stegen, Nagelsmann has said that the Barcelona captain will man the sticks if he is fit.
Injuries have been a major issue for almost every club partaking in European competitions this season, and Germany has been hit pretty hard with them. Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala is a major doubt, although he has resumed light training to gear up for a potential call-up. The same can be said for Kai Havertz, who has been sidelined since February after a nasty hamstring injury. More issues lie in defense, where Antonio Rüdiger is threatened with an absence following a knee surgery. Having been one of Real Madrid’s only in-form defenders before his surgery, Rüdiger will be hard to ignore, but it will be a race against time for him to get fit in time for the June tournament.
Meanwhile, Nico Schlotterbeck is definitely out of the finals with a meniscus injury.
Germany will play against Portugal in the semifinals at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena on the 4th of June. Should they prevail, they will return to the same venue four days later for the final, while a defeat will send them on the road to Stuttgart for the third place match, held on the same day.
