Jürgen Klopp, Germany's new head coach, was dealt his first squad blow after the match against the Netherlands. Injuries to Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz were confirmed, forcing the pair to leave the Mannschaft camp early and miss the three remaining internationals during the current break.
Just 90 minutes into his first match in charge, Klopp found himself obliged to shuffle his squad. His opening game as Germany head coach ended in a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in the team's UEFA Nations League campaign, yesterday, Thursday evening.
Musiala and Havertz injuries
Musiala suffered a tear in his thigh muscle fibres during the warm-up before the clash with the Netherlands in Amsterdam. According to information from "Sky Sport", he is expected to be out for a period ranging between three and four weeks.
Havertz, meanwhile, sustained a muscle strain, the German Football Association announced, confirming the pair's absence from the national team's next three matches.
This injury marks a different case for Musiala from what he suffered in previous periods, when temporary absences were linked to a neurological problem. His absence this time came due to a muscular injury related to football.
Klopp calls up Wirtz and Burkardt
Klopp moved quickly to cover the absences, calling up Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Burkardt early in preparation for the match against Greece in the city of Augsburg next Sunday.
Both players had been due to join the national team at a later date, in preparation for the third and fourth matches within the current international break. The injuries to Musiala and Havertz hastened their arrival.
Klopp had expected the absence
After the match against the Netherlands, Klopp hinted at the possibility of the pair being absent, saying: "I hope it is not serious and that the two players can return to fitness quickly. They most likely will not be available for Sunday's match."
Germany will play Greece with almost the same squad in terms of numbers. Klopp has only 24 players, which means he will once again have to leave out one of them from the final matchday squad.
Before the clash with the Netherlands, Klopp had been forced to leave Bambasi Konté, the Hoffenheim player, out of his squad. He assured the attacker, though, that he would have a place in the squad for Sunday's match.