Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp has announced a 44-man squad for his first international camp since taking charge of the national team, with 16 players receiving their first senior call-ups.
Klopp, who was appointed Germany coach in July following the country's early elimination from the 2026 World Cup, has divided the players into two separate squads for four upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. The unusual selection is intended to give the new coach an opportunity to assess a large group of players during a busy international period.
The first 24-man group will face the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 before playing Greece in Augsburg three days later. A second group of 20 players will then join the setup for Germany's matches against Serbia in Munich on October 1 and Greece in Thessaloniki on October 4.
Klopp explained that the size of the selection was partly influenced by the unusual schedule of four international matches within a short period. He said the two groups were not intended to represent an A team and a B team, but had been assembled so that each could function effectively for its respective matches.
The new coach has also used the opportunity to introduce several players who have yet to represent Germany at senior level. Among the 16 potential debutants are Eintracht Frankfurt forward Younes Ebnoutalib, Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch, Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt, Celtic midfielder Mika Baur and Elversberg's Felix Keidel.
Klopp said the enlarged selection was also part of a longer-term assessment of the national team. He indicated that his plans extend beyond the immediate Nations League fixtures and that the new players could form part of Germany's development over the next several years.
Marc-André ter Stegen has been selected as Germany's first-choice goalkeeper for the opening matches. The Barcelona goalkeeper moved to Ajax on a season-long loan during the summer after an injury-disrupted period at club level.
Joshua Kimmich will continue as Germany captain. The Bayern Munich midfielder, who has 114 international appearances, is expected to operate in central midfield rather than at right-back, where he has also played for the national team.
Several experienced players were left out of the selection. Leroy Sané, Deniz Undav, Leon Goretzka and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann were not included, while Manuel Neuer and Antonio Rüdiger have retired from international football. Undav's omission has also been linked to an Achilles tendon injury, according to German media reports.
The squad includes a mixture of established internationals and younger players. Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Serge Gnabry, Florian Wirtz, Nico Schlotterbeck and Jonathan Tah are among the more experienced names selected, while the inclusion of several potential debutants gives Klopp an opportunity to assess emerging options.
Germany's first match under Klopp will therefore combine familiar faces with a significant number of new players as the coach begins reshaping the national team following its disappointing World Cup campaign.
The four Nations League fixtures will provide Klopp with his first competitive opportunity to assess the squad and determine how the different players fit into his plans. The DFB has confirmed that most of the players involved in the first two matches will return to their clubs before the second group joins the national setup.
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