Klopp Names 44 Players in First Germany Squad

Jürgen Klopp has named 44 players across two separate squads for his first international matches as Germany manager, with 16 uncapped players included in a major selection experiment.

The former Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund manager announced his first Germany squads on Thursday as he prepares for four UEFA Nations League fixtures across the September and October international breaks.

Klopp has divided the players into two groups rather than keeping the same squad for all four matches. The first 24-man group will face the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 before hosting Greece in Augsburg three days later.

A second group of 20 players will then join the national team for the meeting with Serbia in Munich on October 1 and the return fixture against Greece in Thessaloniki on October 4. Most of the players involved in the first two matches will return to their clubs afterward.

Klopp explained that the unusual approach is designed both to manage the demanding schedule and give him an opportunity to assess as many players as possible.

“We want to get to know as many players as possible,” Klopp said, while insisting that there is no A or B team.

The German coach said the two squads had been selected according to positional balance, character and the mixture of experienced and inexperienced players. He also stressed that Germany will aim to win all four matches.

Among the 16 players receiving their first senior call-ups are Augsburg defender Hennes Behrens, Freiburg trio Max Rosenfelder, Philipp Treu and Yannik Engelhardt, Hoffenheim midfielder Bambasé Conté and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Younes Ebnoutalib.

The second squad also contains several debutants, including Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch, Elversberg midfielder Felix Keidel, Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt, Celtic midfielder Mika Baur and Freiburg forward Derry Scherhant.

There are also several familiar names returning to the Germany setup. Marc-André ter Stegen is back and has been identified by Klopp as his current first-choice goalkeeper, while Joshua Kimmich remains captain and will be used in midfield.

Jamal Musiala, Nico Schlotterbeck and Serge Gnabry are among the players Klopp intends to keep with the group for the full two-week period, with the coach citing their individual situations and the need to help them regain rhythm.

Klopp's first Germany squad also provides an early indication of his intention to build for the future. The 59-year-old said the selection was not simply about the next four matches but about preparing players who could be competing at the highest level for Germany over the next two or three years.

Germany will therefore begin the Nations League campaign with a mixture of established internationals and a significant number of players hoping to establish themselves at senior level under their new manager.