Where will Joshua Kimmich play for Germany in Julian Nagelsmann reunion?

In Hansi Flick’s final throw of the dice to salvage his career as Germany men’s national team coach, the former Bayern Munich manager opted to roll with Joshua Kimmich at his old position of right-back.

Now another former Bayern manager, Julian Nagelsmann, is Germany coach, and an injury to the only nominal right-back, Benjamin Henrichs, in his October national team call-ups has gone unreplaced.

Begging the question: where will Kimmich play? According to Sport1, as captured by @iMiaSanMia, it will still be in his current Bayern position in midfield:

Joshua Kimmich, who recently played at right-back under Hansi Flick, is planned to play in midfield under Julian Nagelsmann - even though the coach didn’t take any natural right-backs following Henrichs’ injury. Jonathan Tah and Niklas Süle are to provide cover in the position [@kerry_hau, @berger_pj]

Tah (Bayer Leverkusen) and Süle (Borussia Dortmund) are both center-backs, though Süle at least has featured in the right-back role as well for club and country. Still, this is starting to sound a lot like the “back three in possession” system Nagelsmann long favored, and which Bayern fans will well remember.

Kimmich, for his part, is looking forward to the reunion with his former club coach. Though, given the circumstances — Flick’s sacking led to Nagelsmann’s appointment — it is not an uncomplicated joy.

“Yes and no,” Kimmich had replied in a late September interview for Sport Bild to a question about whether he was pleased about Nagelsmann’s hiring by the DFB (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “No, because it’s of course never a sign of quality for us when the coach is replaced, which has nothing to do with Julian. Of course we know each other, we had a good time together here. I don’t think it was so unsuccessful at FC Bayern. I think Julian will do a few things differently. It’s different with the national team than with the club because you’re not on the pitch together every day. I think he’ll do very well.”

Germany will play the USMNT on October 14th, followed by Mexico on October 17th as part of their tour of the USA this month.