Germany team: Jürgen Klopp appears to have already made a decision on Said El Mala

According to Sky, new Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp is firmly planning with 1. FC Cologne attacker Said El Mala. Unless something unforeseen like an injury gets in the way, Klopp is expected to call up El Mala for the upcoming Nations League matches at the end of September and start of October.

Klopp sees huge potential in El Mala and wants to put his faith in the Cologne player from the very start of his reign. The 20-year-old strengthened his case again at the start of the Bundesliga season with a strong display in FC's 3-2 win over TSG Hoffenheim on Saturday, scoring the important goal for 1-1 after a fine piece of play.

Should Klopp follow through, El Mala could finally be in line for his senior international debut. Klopp's predecessor Julian Nagelsmann, who resigned after the early World Cup exit, called up the dribbler for the first time in November last year but did not play him. Instead, as previously agreed, Nagelsmann sent El Mala to the Under-21s during the training camp, and he has so far made seven appearances for them, scoring once.

Was Said El Mala in the DFB team's World Cup squad?

Meanwhile, El Mala waited in vain for another senior call-up, with Nagelsmann also leaving him out of the squad for the 2026 World Cup. The former Germany coach's decision not to pick El Mala even after the short-notice injury-related absence of Bayern talent Lennart Karl caused some surprise. Instead, Assan Ouedraogo (RB Leipzig) came in, but he did not play a single minute at the tournament in North America.

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At his unveiling press conference at the end of July, Klopp had already thrown the door wide open for newcomers and stressed that wingers will play a crucial role under him: "Because every opponent can make the pitch very narrow. The only advantage you have is on the wing for a brief moment. The playmakers of the modern era are on the wing," Klopp said. With his pace, dribbling and direct running at goal, El Mala is an excellent attacking fit for Klopp's intense football, though his work in counter-pressing will also be decisive.

Why did El Mala's transfer to Borussia Dortmund collapse?

Off the pitch, things have calmed down around El Mala after a turbulent few weeks. Borussia Dortmund were desperate to sign the FC star and he himself would probably also have been very keen to move to Borussia Dortmund. In the end, however, Cologne's transfer demands were too high for Dortmund, which is why the move collapsed. El Mala instead extended his contract with the Billy Goats early by a further year until 2031, sweetened, among other things, by a hefty pay rise.

Public certainty will come on 17 September, when Klopp names his squad for his first matches on the touchline with the DFB team. A week later, on 24 September, El Mala could finally make his debut in Amsterdam against the Netherlands. Three days later, Klopp takes charge of his first home game in Augsburg against Greece on 27 September, before Germany also face Serbia on 1 October in Munich and Greece again on 4 October in Thessaloniki in two further Nations League matches.

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