Nagelsmann's football team, Jubilar, faces sudden job inquiry

In the upcoming World Cup qualifier on September 7, 2025, in Cologne, Julian Nagelsmann, coach of Germany's national team, will field a squad with five new players compared to the first match. This comes as key players like Jamal Musiala, Marc-André ter Stegen, and Kai Havertz are injured and unavailable.

Notable absences also include Leroy Sané and Deniz Undav. Despite these setbacks, changes are necessary in the attack due to limited options and injuries.

Rudi Völler, the sporting director, has praised Mats Hummels as a "leader" and "figurehead," who will be honoured by the DFB for his services. Hummels' return to form could potentially benefit the wobbly German defense.

Joshua Kimmich complained about a lack of aggression in possession of the ball after the goalless draw in Bratislava. To address this, Pascal Groß could start on the right side of defense, with Kimmich staying in midfield. An emotional player like Robert Andrich could now be called upon to play alongside Kimmich.

Nick Woltemade and Florian Wirtz are particularly in the spotlight. Wirtz, who was trained as a youth player at FC Cologne but moved to Bayer Leverkusen, has been an essential and untouchable difference-maker for Nagelsmann. However, Wirtz is currently in a form slump since his million-dollar move to FC Liverpool.

Goalkeeper Oliver Baumann highlighted the importance of "energy, tackling, and winning second balls" in the upcoming match. Nagelsmann expressed confidence in his ability to win and emphasized the importance of the team. He called for "emotional football" and an "energetic team spirit" for the second group match.

Despite the recent losses in the Nations League final tournament against Portugal (1:2) and France (0:2), Nagelsmann remains optimistic. Rudi Völler showed solidarity with Nagelsmann during the final training session. Mats Hummels, a key figure from the 2014 German World Cup-winning team, will also be honoured in this match.

However, Nagelsmann's job as coach is under potential concern due to the 0:2 loss in Slovakia during the World Cup qualifiers. Wirtz was substituted early in the last international match in Cologne, but he won't face that situation this time. Nagelsmann is considering personnel changes for the next match, but not all ten field players will be rotated.

As the team prepares for the match, the focus remains on delivering a strong performance and securing a win for Germany.