Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Germany’s final warm-up game ahead of EURO 2024, head coach Julian Nagelsamnn confirmed that Kai Havertz will start up front at the tournament.
In recent games, Havertz has had the upper hand on Niclas Füllkrug as Germany’s starting number-nine, even though at times he has not looked convincing, compared to the likes of Füllkrug and even backup option Deniz Undav.
When asked about the striker position, Nagelsmann said: “We are happy that Fülle is back. It’s good that we have another striker in the squad. The roles are clear. If Kai performs, he will have the edge. He has to perform. Fülle will get his playing time and will score goals” Sky Germany reports that the reasoning for this is that Nagelsmann believes that Füllkrug can make a bigger impact off the bench when called upon, compared to Havertz.
This evening, Germany plays Greece in Mönchengladbach in their final warmup game, ahead of the opening game of the EUROs next Friday against Scotland in Munich.
Nagelsmann has already made the decision to cut down on his squad, after initially saying he needed four goalkeepers for the tournament, the former Bayern Munich head coach has now gone back on this idea and VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel will be sent home. This also means that Robin Koch, Maximilian Beier, Chris Führich, David Raum and Aleksander Pavlovic, who were all at risk of being dropped, will remain a part of Germany’s 26-man squad.
GGFN | Jack Meenan
