Julian Nagelsmann there are no signs of it. Concentrated, focused, outwardly unimpressed by the bad news surrounding captain Joshua Kimmich and defensive pillar Nico Schlotterbeck, the national coach juggled balls in Wolfsburg’s autumn sunshine before the final training session before leaving for Luxembourg.
Kimmich greeted shortly afterward in a social media message from his hospital bed. “Unfortunately, this is my workplace for now. Give everything to be back on the pitch on Monday,” he wrote on Instagram. In the photo, his facial expression speaks volumes with his lips pressed tightly as a form of defiance.
Of course, the regulars’ double failure in the penultimate group match of the World Cup qualifiers on Friday (20.45/RTL) against the unseeded team in the Grand Duchy also worried the national coach. This is very troublesome for Nagelsmann.
“Let us go, take greater risks!” He did so as the penultimate step towards a direct World Cup berth against the pointless bottom of the group Luxembourg issued as the motto of the national football team. In other words: goals, objectives, goals.
With a big win, the starting position for the fight against Slovakia will be increased further on Monday (20:45/ZDF). If everything goes according to plan in Luxembourg, a draw in Leipzig will be enough for first place and direct participation in the World Cup.
Kimmich on a plane to Luxembourg
The penultimate step to the final in America in 2026 must now be achieved without Schlotterbeck and, crucially, without Kimmich. The Bayern professional suffered a capsular injury to his right ankle during training on Wednesday and was unable to take part in the final session in Wolfsburg before leaving. The 30-year-old player is traveling to Luxembourg. The hope is that he can be fit again for action on Monday in Leipzig.
The significance of Kimmich’s defeat can be seen by looking at Nagelsmann’s DFB chronicle. The player from Munich has appeared in 25 matches since November 2023. He only missed his national coaching debut in October 2023. Due to an infection, he had to return home from the US before the double pack test.
Default as backup
With Nagelsmann, the following applies: Kimmich has always played (if possible), either as a back six or, more recently, as a right wing back. RB Leipzig’s Ridle Baku is now expected to represent him there as a specially appointed reserve. The question of who will take over the captaincy from Kimmich is more exciting because it is more symbolic.
Deputy Antonio Rüdiger and Kai Havertz are not part of the current squad after injuries. After Kimmich (105 international games), Leroy Sané (70) has the most DFB appearances. The 29-year-old from Galatasaray Istanbul was brought back into the squad by Nagelsmann after the break but only on a trial basis.
After Monday’s highly unusual public tirade (“He doesn’t have many chances left”), the forward’s captaincy would have been a surprise – or another message that said, put in the work, finally take responsibility.
More realistic candidates to wear the black, red and gold captain’s armband are Kimmich’s Munich teammates Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry and Jonathan Tah or goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, who at 35 is the oldest player in the squad.
Kimmich’s defeat is the second setback in the national coach’s defensive personnel planning. It is practically certain that Nico Schlotterbeck will also not be available in Luxembourg. The Dortmund defender suffered an injury to his leg in the match against Hamburger SV on Saturday which had to be stapled.
On Thursday, the 25-year-old started running practice again, first taking to the field in flip-flops with team doctor Jochen Hahne and then doing a few laps with a fitness trainer. Schlotterbeck must also be used as well as possible against Slovakia. For him, club mate Waldemar Anton had to move to a back four, which also included Tah in the center and Leipzig’s David Raum as a left winger.
The Bavarian bloc became a quartet
Due to Kimmich’s failure, Bayern’s important quintet will also be disbanded. In Tah, Goretzka, Gnabry and Aleksandar Pavlovic, four Munich players remain the core of the DFB. With their club in excellent form, they must rev up the DFB engine – the blue and white football blueprint.
“I’ve already said, as a national coach I naturally depend very much on the clubs. So there’s no point in imagining good things and inviting players who are all down,” said Nagelsmann. Luckily for him, Bayern was the opposite.
«I believe it is fundamentally important to perform your duties with confidence and conviction. We have to do exactly the same thing here,” Tah promised the form transfer DFB team.
In Luxembourg it’s like in Paris
He does not feel the danger of a de-escalation at various stages of football from the clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and now with world number 97 Luxembourg. “Above all, Germany and its countries are responsible for reaching this level,” Tah said.
Nagelsmann also sees an obligation to improve offensive effectiveness. Despite wins against Luxembourg (4:0) and Northern Ireland (1:0), which massively improved his starting position for direct World Cup qualification after a false start in Slovakia (0:2), he was not satisfied with the desire to score factor.
The game was “a little too slow”, “too much contact, too much addiction to control, in my opinion,” said the national coach. In Luxembourg, the team had to appear free even without racer Kimmich.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251113-930-287054/4
