:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67345731/1227129684.jpg.0.jpg)
In his digital press conference previewing Germany’s UEFA Nations League match against Spain, Joachin Low confirmed that Bayern Munich’s Leroy Sane and Niklas Sule will be in the starting lineup (Az). Due to their cruciate ligament injuries, it’s been a while since either player has featured for Die Mannschaft, though Sule marked his return to action during Bayern’s Champions League campaign in Portugal. It’s been 15 months since Sane made his last appearance for Germany, and just about 12 months for Sule.
When he was asked about personnel decisions for the match, Low said “I plan with Niklas and Leroy [Sané] right from the start. We’ll see how long the strength will last. I think I’ll have to make some changes.” He also made it clear that he’ll be starting Kevin Trapp in goal and that Robin Gosens from Atalanta would start in defense, receiving his full international debut:
Joachim #Löw on team news: "Robin #Gosens will definitely start tomorrow. Kevin #Trapp will be in goal. I'm also planning on starting Niklas #Süle and @LeroySane19."#DieMannschaft #GERESP pic.twitter.com/KVoCc8aX6g
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) September 2, 2020
Even Low revealed he’s not sure whether or not he’ll be able to make three of five substitutions, but having come back from cruciate ligament tears, it’s highly unlikely that Sule nor Sane will go for a full 90 minutes. At this point, other than training sessions, Sane only has a total of 11 minutes of competitive play since he returned from his injury, which came in late June when he was still with Manchester City in a 5-0 win over Burnley. The case for more minutes is much stronger for Sule.
Low also suggested that he’s likely to go with a back three against Spain and that he might try a back four against Switzerland. With Gosens already confirmed to start, that means Low will have to pick another two defenders from Antonia Rudiger, Johnathan Tah, Matthias Ginter, Thilo Kehrer, and Robin Koch. Nico Schulz had withdrawn from the squad due to an injury problem. Having so many natural central backs at his disposal makes Low’s idea of a back three more manageable, but that also depends heavily on how he will choose to setup his midfield, too.
Match Info
Germany - Spain (Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart). Thursday, September 3rd:
Kickoff - 8:45pm CET, 2:45pmEST
TV Listings (ESPN2, TUDN in North America)
Switzerland - Germany (St. Jakob-Park, Basel.) Sunday, September 6th:
Kickoff - 8:45pm CET, 2:45pmEST
TV Listings (ESPN+, TUDN in North America)