Six returnees and two newcomers: Julian Nagelsmann springs just one surprise in his first DFB squad of the World Cup year

However, also included – and this is certainly something of a surprise – is Anton Stach of Leeds United. Whilst Nagelsmann had acknowledged that the midfielder was doing “well” at Leeds, he also noted his supposed weakness in aerial and ground duels. 

“He isn’t particularly strong in the air, nor is he the best tackler, but rather someone who likes to have the game in front of him,” Nagelsmann said at the time: “I felt his best position at Hoffenheim was the central role in the back three, from where he dropped into the number six role.”

It was subsequently reasonable to assume that, following the disappointment in November last year, Stach would once again fail to make the DFB squad. But things turned out differently. The 27-year-old has been nominated for a senior national team training camp for the first time in almost four years, forming the spearhead of a sextet of returnees.

Alongside Stach, key players Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid) and Kai Havertz (Arsenal), who have been out with long-term injuries, are also set to return as expected. The national coach was particularly keen to see the return of Havertz, who is likely to be Nagelsmann’s first-choice striker. Regarding Rüdiger, Nagelsmann emphasised that he must be “100 per cent fit and healthy”: “If he has niggles, the sort he sometimes had with us, he won’t reach his performance limit, and that makes no sense.”

However, the opposite now appears to be the case following his recovery from knee and muscle injuries. Rüdiger has regained his starting place in central defence for the Royals and impressed in the round of 16 matches against Manchester City. 

Rounding off the sextet of returnees are Pascal Groß, who has regained his place at Brighton & Hove following his departure from BVB in the winter, and the Stuttgart duo of Deniz Undav and Josha Vagnoman, who is back in the squad for the first time in almost exactly three years and since his DFB debut. He is currently Nagelsmann’s only nominal backup for right-back Joshua Kimmich, who is in fine form. 

Benjamin Henrichs is still some way off his best form following the Achilles tendon rupture he suffered in December 2024. Ridle Baku, who had caught the eye with a goal and an assist during the World Cup qualifiers in November, is also struggling to reach his peak form in Leipzig.

Meanwhile, Lennart Karl and Jonas Urbig from FC Bayern are completely new to the squad. Whilst Urbig has at times shone in his role as a stand-in for the frequently injured Manuel Neuer at the record champions, 18-year-old Karl has also regained the form he showed in the first half of the season following a dip in performance at the start of the year – a form which, in the opinion of numerous experts, would have earned him a call-up to the DFB squad even back then.

“I don’t expect him to become a regular starter just to be part of the World Cup squad. Because he won’t,” Nagelsmann remarked in early March: “But he does need to build up a certain rhythm; with young players, it’s all about self-confidence. He mustn’t come to us and then be a wallflower; instead, he has to bring that youthful freshness and cheekiness.”

Karl has recently been showing that "cheek" more often again in the FC Bayern shirt. In his first proper professional season, he currently has eight goals and six assists in 34 games. The youngster may also have benefited from the fact that, in consultation with Bayern, Jamal Musiala is once again unable to play for the national team. The 23-year-old has been suffering from pain in his ankle for a week following his serious injury at the Club World Cup in the summer and is currently sidelined at club level as well.

Alongside the national coach’s tough decisions regarding Stiller and El Mala, the omission of Maximilian Beier is likely to have raised quite a few eyebrows, at least in Dortmund. 

Beier had fought his way into the BVB starting line-up in recent weeks and is currently in excellent form. In the last twelve Bundesliga matches, he has scored five goals and provided four assists. Yet it was not enough for him, just as it was not for Karim Adeyemi. Niclas Füllkrug, who is currently limited to a substitute role at AC Milan and has scored just one goal, is also absent. 

Nadiem Amiri, who returned to the national team under Nagelsmann in March last year after almost five years away, is also missing from the current squad. However, this is not for performance-related reasons. The 29-year-old is once again having an outstanding season at Mainz 05 (15 goals, 3 assists), but has been struggling with a persistent heel injury for weeks.