Squad rotation and Kimmich absence

Germany national football team captain Joshua Kimmich will miss the upcoming UEFA Nations League League A fixtures against Serbia and Greece. The 31-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder has been excluded from the matchday squad entirely for workload management rather than because of a physical injury. Germany manager Jürgen Klopp organized the exclusion as part of a pre-planned squad rotation system designed to prevent player exhaustion from continuous club and international match commitments. The decision leaves Germany without their regular on-field captain for the visit to Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki on Sunday, 4 October 2026. The technical staff confirmed that Kimmich will not feature in either of the two remaining fixtures of the current international calendar window.

Germany roster overhaul under Klopp

Klopp initiated an extensive selection process for this international window by calling up a total pool of 44 players across the overall group. For the upcoming fixtures against Serbia and Greece, the German coaching staff narrowed the active selection to a 25-man squad. Only six players from the first group of the training camp remain available for selection: Finn Dahmen, Nico Schlotterbeck, Philipp Treu, Yannik Engelhardt, Mabassé Konté, and Serge Gnabry. The remaining positions have been filled by fresh selections, including nine players who have never earned an international cap for the senior national team. This substantial turnover forms part of Klopp's broader evaluation plan to assess squad depth and test new talent ahead of the qualifying cycle for Euro 2028.

Total pool called for window44

Squad for Serbia and Greece matches25

Uncapped players in travelling squad9

Players retained from first group6

Total pool called for window

44 players

Squad for Serbia and Greece matches

25 players

Uncapped players in travelling squad

9 players

Players retained from first group

6 players

Data from the article text

Leadership selection and armband candidates

The removal of Kimmich from the squad presents a captaincy dilemma for the German coaching staff due to the relative inexperience of the travelling group. Klopp acknowledged in the previous week that he had not settled on a designated captain following Kimmich's planned departure after the opening two matches. The final decision on the armband was scheduled for announcement during the pre-match press conference at 18:00 at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Forward Serge Gnabry emerges as the primary candidate to lead the team on the pitch, holding 61 international caps for Germany. Beyond Gnabry and defender Nico Schlotterbeck, the technical staff has limited veteran options among the 25 players selected for the trip.

Greece and Netherlands preparations at Toumba

Greece prepares to host two consecutive Nations League Group A fixtures at Toumba Stadium with an opportunity to secure first place in the group standings and advance to the next tournament phase. The Greek team, managed by Ivan Jovanović, opens the home window against the Netherlands on Thursday, 1 October 2026, before hosting Germany on Sunday, 4 October 2026, at 21:45. Greece previously defeated Germany earlier in the tournament, a result that prompted tactical reviews within the German camp. Meanwhile, the Dutch national team travels to Thessaloniki managing squad uncertainties of their own, with defender Jan Paul van Hecke listed as a doubt for the opening match of the double-header.