DFB team forgoes substitute captain Gnabry, Keidel added to squad
In the training camp of the German national team in Munich, a tense silence prevails as the squad prepares for departure to Thessaloniki. Without vice‑captain Gnabry, the fourth Nations League duel against Greece will be played away on Sunday, starting at 20:45 on the Sportschau audio stream. The mood is tense because the team has only one match left.
Klopp skips Gnabry
National team coach Jürgen Klopp deliberately omitted Serge Gnabry for the match against Greece. The former vice‑captain is not to travel with the squad because he is not in the final roster. Instead, newcomer Felix Keidel from SV Elversberg moves into the matchday squad.
After the 2‑0 victory over Serbia in Munich, Klopp had gathered 24 players in the DFB squad's camp. However, according to UEFA regulations, only 20 outfield players and three goalkeepers may be registered for the qualifying matches. Therefore the team had to trim the squad before traveling to Greece.
Gnabry was for the first time in the match against Serbia acting as deputy to Joshua Kimmich as captain and remained the only international player to feature in all three Nations League games. On Thursday, after his serious injury that ruled him out of the World Cup, he was back in the Munich stadium from the start. Klopp praised his good performance and described the substitution at halftime as “load management”.
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Keidel moves into the squad
Felix Keidel, who until now has only played for FC Ingolstadt in the youth department, can be used both in defensive midfield and on either full‑back position. The 23‑year‑old newcomer is among the debutants in the XXL squad of the German national team for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. His nomination initially raised surprise, as he comes from the Regionalliga‑Elversberg.
On Saturday morning, the national team completes the official final training with DFB partner Adidas in Herzogenaurach. Afterwards, the team travels on Friday afternoon to Thessaloniki to overturn the 0‑1 result from the first leg in the return match. After a mixed first international break, Jürgen Klopp hopes for a success experience.
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The decision to omit Gnabry and instead integrate Keidel shows how flexible the DFB team is in responding to regulatory requirements. Observers will closely follow the Sunday match to see whether the young players meet the expectations.