Germany had a disappointing summer as they were knocked out of the UEFA Nations League in the semi-final by Portugal. They also lost the third-place playoff game against France. The German national team still looks far from being one of the best international teams in the world. Bayern Munich stars have also struggled to make an impact for Germany in the last 18 months.
The next 12 months are crucial for Nagelsmann as he looks to build up the squad for next summer’s World Cup. After several underwhelming international tournaments since winning the World Cup 2014, Germany needs to deliver good performances and results in next summer’s tournament.
Germany is set to make one crucial tactical change during the preparations for the World Cup. While talking to Sky Sports in Germany, Julian Nagelsmann admitted that Joshua Kimmich will be playing in the midfield moving forward. The 30-year-old has been playing in the right-back or right wing-back position under Julian Nagelsmann.
Kimmich will be pleased with this development. He prefers playing in the center of the park instead of playing as a full-back. The German international has been playing in the midfield for Bayern for several seasons. Kimmich is a very solid right-back, but his performances in midfield have been more impressive over the years.
The 30-year-old midfielder will most likely partner either Leon Goretzka or Aleksandar Pavlovic in midfield for Germany. It will be intriguing to see in what way Kimmich’s move back to midfield will affect Germany’s performances over the next 12 months.
Nagelsmann rules out return of Manuel Neuer
Nagelsmann and Germany suffered a big blow last week as Marc-Andre ter Stegen was ruled out for at least three months due to a serious back injury. If the rehabilitation goes well, Ter Stegen should be fit for the World Cup next summer.
There have been a few suggestions in Germany that Manuel Neuer could return to the squad for next summer’s World Cup. Neuer announced his retirement from international football after Germany were eliminated from the Euros last summer.
Nagelsmann have poured cold water on these reports and backed Ter Stegen to come back strongly. He expects the Barcelona shot stopper to be ready for the World Cup. Germany has to move ahead, so it doesn’t make sense for them to bring Neuer back into the squad. Alexander Nubel will be looking to get into Germany’s squad after starting a few games for Germany in the last 18 months.