No international friendly before the World Cup. Julian Nagelsmann is poised to deliver another dramatic U-turn over his World Cup squad

Even before Thursday's squad announcement, the friendly matches in March sparked heated debate over El Mala's omission. The attacking winger was one of the Bundesliga's breakout stars, yet his impressive goalscoring form for Cologne was not enough to convince Nagelsmann to pick him for the internationals against Ghana and Switzerland.

Nagelsmann justified omitting El Mala—while drafting Bayern prospect Lennart Karl—by arguing that the winger had not received enough game time at Cologne under then-coach Lukas Kwasniok, who has since departed. The national coach also questioned the player's defensive contributions.

"There's a difference between being at Bayern and being at Cologne. He simply needs more playing time at Cologne," Nagelsmann emphasised in his widely discussed kicker interview in early March. "This message isn't aimed at Lukas Kwasniok, whom I know as a coach who carefully assesses his tactical requirements, including defensively. He needs to be a regular starter for Cologne and play in every match, yet he's only featuring in about 50 per cent of their football, which is insufficient. That shortfall is not the manager's fault, as many assume; it lies with the player and the consistency of his defensive work."

Early in the campaign, Kwasniok often introduced El Mala as a substitute, despite the youngster's goals and assists already proving crucial to the team's relegation fight. Since Kwasniok's resignation at the end of March, El Mala has started every Bundesliga match under successor Rene Wagner, finishing his debut top-flight campaign with 13 goals and five assists.

He then showed he could also make an impact at international level with the German U21s. Coach Antonio Di Salvo welcomed Nagelsmann's omission with open arms, and El Mala fired the German youth side to victory in a vital European Championship qualifier against Greece. Having recently lost his grandmother, he broke down in tears during the celebrations. "When I scored, everything came pouring out. It was the most emotional moment of my life – I couldn't hold back any longer," he explained afterwards.

Now, with Nagelsmann's call-up for the senior squad, El Mala may shed a tear of joy when the World Cup preparations begin.

Back in November, Nagelsmann had already called up El Mala for the World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia, but sent him straight back to the U21s after the Luxembourg match without playing a single minute, as that age-group side was up against the wall in its European Championship qualifier against Georgia.

Karl now has significantly more senior international experience; unlike El Mala, he made a brilliant debut for the national team back in March. According to Sky, he too is said to have already secured his place in the World Cup squad.

The Bayern youngster made his senior debut as a substitute against Switzerland (4-3) in March and also came on against Ghana (2-1). "He made a great impression," said Nagelsmann at the time: "Cheeky, but also humble. He has a natural gift for positioning himself well and moving in space." "Of all the young players we've called up over the years, he's made the best impression," Nagelsmann added.

This season, Karl has contributed nine goals and eight assists in 39 competitive matches for Bayern.

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