The German National Team is in crisis and its senior players won’t step up.
Germany continues to face a series of blows in its squad as both Aleksandar Pavlović and Felix Nmecha find themselves out from injuries they picked up at their clubs. Pavlović picked up what is being described as a ‘hip problem’ in Bayern Munich and Nmecha tore his lateral collateral ligament following Dortmund’s win against Hamburger SV.
In these dire circumstances, manager Julian Nagelsmann was able to call up Angelo Stiller and Chris Führich as replacements, but this is not enough. They now join the trio of Leon Goretzka, Pascal Groß and Anton Stach. What remains to be seen is where Nagelsmann plays these players and in what combination. There exists a risk of him choosing to play Groß in the backline as well. Interestingly, Stach has not played for the national team in four years.
When Joshua Kimmich was asked in view of these circumstances whether he could return to midfield, he bluntly rejected it — “No.”
Further, per @iMiaSanMia, Kimmich justified his stance. “I’m convinced I can bring my quality and strengths to the pitch at right-back the same way to when I’m playing in midfield,” he said.
This is in stark contrast to the times Kimmich bluntly refused to play in right-back for Bayern Munich. Perhaps the dynamics of being a full-back at club and country are different. Perhaps he knows something we don’t. Do we want to give him the benefit of the doubt here?
