Jurgen Klopp says there was “no alternative” to the selection plan he used after Germany's 1-0 defeat to Greece, and he has taken the criticism on himself rather than the players. Germany slipped to third in their Nations League Group B after a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands last week, with only one point from two matches. Klopp also split a 44-man squad over the four games.

Klopp stands by the rotation

“It's part of the process, absolutely,” Klopp told chroniclelive.co.uk. “If you want to criticise someone, then do it to me. Leave the boys alone.”

His point is straightforward enough. The new group was not thrown together to produce a polished performance immediately, and Klopp said the camp was about gathering information and opening the door for new faces. Germany did not get that against Greece, where Dimitrios Kourbelis' effort was deflected in off Joshua Kimmich.

The broader issue is that the margin for error is already thin. Germany's one point from two games leaves them in a difficult spot, and the rotation will be judged against results whether Klopp likes that or not.

Woltemade's chance to change the mood

Nick Woltemade is one of the players who can benefit from the next two matches. He is currently on loan at Juventus and has not started a Serie A game for the club yet, but he did start and score in the Europa League win over NEC Nijmegen before the international break.

The league numbers are still modest. Woltemade has made three Serie A appearances and played 53 minutes, while his season rating in Serie A stands at 6.44. That leaves him in the middle of a useful run of games rather than a settled club role.

Chris Waddle was sharply downbeat about his Premier League fit, saying: "He's obviously got talent, but I think the Premier League was too quick for him." Bayern München are said to be monitoring him after his £69m move from Stuttgart in 2025, although other reports conflict on the fee and even the original club involved.

Malick Thiaw is also coming into camp with steady minutes behind him, having played 450 Premier League minutes this season. With Kai Havertz injured, Germany have a route for Woltemade to press his case again before the break ends.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →