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National coach Joachim Löw in training before the first international match of the year: complicated squad puzzle
Photo:
Christopher Neundorf / Kirchner-Media / imago images / Kirchner-Media
Julian Draxler was always part of the national team's inventory.
The former Schalke player made his debut in 2012, since then he has been used in 56 international matches.
Draxler was rarely a regular player, but was always there when he was fit.
Since the early World Cup in 2018, he has missed 13 of the 24 games due to injury.
Well, in the upcoming three World Cup qualifiers, Draxler was not invited.
He is injury-free, Draxler plays regularly for Paris Saint-Germain.
"The door is of course not closed," said national coach Joachim Loew the day before the game against Iceland in the evening (8.45 p.m. live ticker SPIEGEL.de, TV: RTL).
After a positive Corona test by a national player, it has not yet been determined whether the first international match of the year will actually take place.
With Draxler he knows what potential he has.
"He's been playing more games recently, that was good," said Loew.
And then followed a sentence that the 61-year-old has probably never said about Julian Draxler: "But he has to improve."
The disregard of Draxler - and also that of Dortmund's Julian Brandt - indicates how open the fight for the 23 squad places for the European championship in the summer is (June 11th to July 11th).
Löw is unusually undecided less than three months before the first German European Championship group game against France (June 15).
You could also say: The lack of quality in a part of the team forces him to experience this renewed uncertainty.
In the 15 years as national coach, Löw stood for loyalty and consistency.
The basic structure of his tournament squad was always established early on, even ailing regular players such as Manuel Neuer 2018 or Bastian Schweinsteiger 2016 were nominated.
Sure, there were surprises too, just think of Dennis Aogo in the 2010 World Cup squad. But those were exceptions.
This year it's a little different - and that has little to do with the fact that Löw will stop as national coach after the EM.
Lots of capable men on the side, but no leader
In contrast to the preparatory phases of previous tournaments, Löw lacks a defensive axis this time.
The national coach simply has no well-rehearsed defense.
Regardless of the system (whether back three or four), no player can be sure of a regular place at the moment - and the 6-0 debacle against Spain last November plays an important role in this assessment.
Actually, Niklas Süle was once planned as a fixed point in the central defense.
However, the man from Munich has had difficult months.
Most recently, he had to help out at Bayern as a right-back.
Developments at Antonio Rüdiger were contrary: Rüdiger rarely played really convincingly in the DFB-Elf, although Löw often bet on him.
At his club, Chelsea, the 28-year-old even sat in the stands at the start of the season.
But under the new coach Thomas Tuchel, Rüdiger is playing stronger than ever before and is a regular player.
Löw will also rely on him in the national team.
Süle will at least miss the game against Iceland.
Rüdiger now has to prove that he can lead the German defense like that of the Londoners.
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Matthias Ginter is going to the European Championship pretty safely
Photo: Martin Rose / Getty Images
Matthias Ginter, Emre Can from BVB, Leipzig's Lukas Klostermann, Robin Koch, who has just returned to the Leeds United team from an injury, and Jonathan Tah (Leverkusen) are still available for the central roles in central defense.
So far, however, none of this quintet has imposed itself as a really set force.
"Discussions about the defense are not new, they existed before 2014," said Mönchengladbach's Ginter.
"Rüdiger, Can, we have all played the Champions League and have a certain amount of experience." That is correct, but it does not solve Löw's conflict: He has many capable people next to him, but no undisputed leader.
That would change with a nomination from Mats Hummels.
In May at the latest, when he names the provisional squad, Löw will have to leave his cover on this issue.
His experience speaks for Hummels, he can lead a team.
The past few months in Dortmund have also shown that the opponent can sometimes take advantage of his lack of speed and that he makes mistakes in positional play despite all the routine.
Will Kimmich be right-back again?
On the defensive flanks, Löw's problems tend to be bigger than smaller.
On the left side, Leipzig's Marcel Halstenberg or Philipp Max (Eindhoven) are allowed to show themselves this time, Bergamos Robin Gosens falls out against Iceland like Süle.
Together with BVB professional Nico Schulz there are four candidates for probably two EM places.
The favorites cannot be identified at the moment.
Löw has not even nominated a classic right-back for the upcoming games.
Thilo Kehrer from PSG is injured, Benjamin Henrichs was also out for a long time in Leipzig.
Ridle Baku, who is called up as a winger in Wolfsburg, but has already made his debut as a right-back at Löw, has been handed over to his U21 colleague Stefan Kuntz for the time being for the current European Championship preliminary round.
In the 3-0 German U21 team against Hungary on Wednesday, the 22-year-old scored two goals and prepared the third.
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Joshua Kimmich was actually set in midfield.
Now Löw could rethink
Photo: INA FASSBENDER / AFP
At Löw, Can or Ginter may have to help out again.
The national coach has an option in the team that would immediately raise the level towards world class: Joshua Kimmich.
"I'm thinking about it," said Loew about a possible transfer of Kimmich to his previous position: "We will do everything that could be important for success." These are also remarkable sentences from the national coach.
Kimmich has been an integral part of the defensive midfield since the debacle at the 2018 World Cup.
This U-turn is favored by Ilkay Gündogan's outstanding form at Manchester City.
With him, as well as Leon Goretzka and Toni Kroos, there is an oversupply of very good central midfielders.
There are also Florian Neuhaus and Kai Havertz.
If Müller is nominated, he will play
Putting the puzzle together on the offensive is more comfortable for Löw with this selection of capable people, but not a bit easier.
He has to think about which of these top people harmonize best and whom he can afford to leave out of the starting XI.
And he has to ask himself whether he can really leave the best German attacking player at home at the moment.
Thomas Müller is playing an outstanding season at Bayern, he has 14 goals and 17 assists in 36 competitive games.
Should Löw bring Müller back, then not as a supplementary player.
Müller would play immediately, which in turn would have an impact on the rest of the team.
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Thomas Müller (right) has 14 goals and 17 assists in 36 competitive games this season
Photo: Matthias Schrader / dpa
In midfield and attack, Löw will nominate twelve or 13 players in a classic squad breakdown.
With Kimmich, Gündogan, Kroos, Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, Timo Werner and Leroy Sané, seven professionals are indisputably involved.
Havertz also has good chances.
Behind it, however, the race is more open than ever.
Matthias Ginter cannot understand the excitement surrounding Hummels and Müller.
"Player names were discussed before other tournaments, this time it's the two," said the 27-year-old.
But there are differences.
The duo would change the hierarchy - because Hummels would not come as a supplementary player either.
Basically, Germany would be a different team at the EM with Müller and Hummels.