Germany coach Jurgen Klopp handed 16 players their first call-ups on Thursday as he unveiled a 44-man squad for his first camp since taking over as coach in the summer. Teams are restricted to naming 20 outfield players and three goalkeepers for each match but the former Liverpool manager took the unusual step of naming a larger squad. Klopp has split the group into two separate squads for Germany’s four upcoming Nations League fixtures.
The first group will be available for the games fixtures against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 and at home to Greece three days later in Augsburg. The second group will be available for Germany’s matches against Serbia in Munich on October 1 and Greece in Thessaloniki on October 4.
Klopp was named as the replacement for Julian Nagelsmann in July after the four-time World Cup winners were eliminated at the last-32 stage at the 2026 World Cup, their third successive early exit from the tournament. Leroy Sane, Deniz Undav, Leon Goretzka and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann have been left out, while veterans Manuel Neuer and Antonio Rudiger have since retired from international football. Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be Germany’s number one option in goal.
Ter Stegen left Barcelona for Ajax on a season-long loan in the summer after a torrid run of injuries which restricted him to just 12 competitive matches in the past two years. Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich, the most experienced member of the squad with 114 caps, has retained the captain’s armband. The 31-year-old is set to move from right-back to central midfield, where he plays at club level.
Undav, one of the few bright spots for Germany at the World Cup, has been omitted. German media reported the former Brighton forward will be given time off to recover from an Achilles