dpa
Munich
Germany coach Julian Nageslmann said that Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic and VfB Stuttgart player Angelo Stiller will be given their starting line-up debuts against the Netherlands in the Nations League on Monday.
"Angelo and Pavlo will play because they’re good,” Nagelsmann said in a news conference on Sunday.
Pavlovic and Stiller, alongside Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, among others, are expected to lead a new generation of players in the Germany national team.
"We still have two years until the World Cup and can’t just rely on 33-year-olds and 34-year-olds in the squad,” Nagelsmann said in view of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Defender Antonio Rüdiger added: "The two boys have a great future ahead of them.” Pavlovic joined the final team training ahead of the game. He was doubtful for Monday’s match after he hurt his knee in the warm-up before the 2-1 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday.
Nagelsmann has a long list of injured players, which include top names like Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Bayern Munich midfielder Musiala.
VfB Stuttgart midfielder Chris Führich was the latest addition to the list after suffering a minor muscle fibre tear in the adductor area against Bosnia.
Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann will be between the posts and make his national team debut, replacing the injured Ter Stegen.
Nagelsmann expects a "interesting game against a good opponent.” Germany can qualify to the Nations League quarter-finals with a win against the Netherlands, after the Dutch team was held to a 1-1 draw with Hungary.
Their last meeting in September ended in a 2-2 draw.
Special ceremony for retired players Before the game, the German Football Federation (DFB) will host a ceremony to honour Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller, Manuel Neuer and Ilkay Gündogan - the long-serving German quartet that retired after this summer’s Euro 2024.
Kroos, however, will miss the ceremony at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
"Kroos would like to be there in person in Munich, but will be on the pitch himself on Monday with children as part of training in his youth academy,” the DFB said on Saturday.
Kroos retired from professional football after this summer’s Euro 2024 in Germany, while Müller, Neuer and Gündogan stepped down from the national team.