BERLIN: Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann on Thursday backed Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade to lead the line for his injury-hit side in their 2026 World Cup qualification bid.
The Germans face Luxembourg away on Friday before returning home to take on Slovakia on Monday, with the latter match likely to determine who qualifies for the tournament directly.
Woltemade, 23, has only played six games for Germany since making his debut in June. He scored the winner in October’s 1-0 victory over Northern Ireland, his first Germany goal.
“Right now he’s super important because we’ve got a few players out injured in that position and because he’s a very good player,” Nagelsmann said.
“He’s in high demand for us right now because he’s doing well, he’s important in pressing, in holding onto the ball and in scoring goals.”
The 1.98-meter tall Woltemade hit the ground running in England after moving to Newcastle in the summer, scoring in four of his first five Premier League games.
“He’s scored several times already. He’s popular with the fans. He feels comfortable in the city,” Nagelsmann said.
“Right now the situation is good for Nick and good for us too.”
Captain Joshua Kimmich was on Thursday ruled out of the Luxembourg match with an ankle injury, becoming the latest to join Nagelsmann’s overcrowded casualty ward.
Bayern Munich center-back Jonathan Tah will captain Germany in Kimmich’s absence.
Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Nico Schlotterbeck, Antonio Rudiger, Niclas Fuellkrug and Tim Kleindienst are all on the injury list, while Karim Adeyemi will miss Friday’s match with a yellow card suspension.
After a surprise 2-0 loss to Slovakia in Bratislava in their opening fixture in September, Germany have steadied the ship, winning three from three.
Germany are level on points in their World Cup qualifying group with second-placed Slovakia but ahead on goal difference.
Slovakia, who host Northern Ireland on Friday, travel to Leipzig to face Germany on Monday in a match which will decide who finishes atop the Group A standings.
Regardless of Friday’s results, both Germany and Slovakia cannot qualify until Monday’s match.
Only the first-placed team is guaranteed to qualify for next year’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Luxembourg have lost four from four in World Cup qualifying, including a 4-0 loss to Germany in October.
Four-time winners Germany have never failed to qualify for a World Cup in the tournament’s history.
Nagelsmann backs Woltemade to shine for injury-hit Germany
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Nagelsmann backs Woltemade to shine for injury-hit Germany
- The Germans face Luxembourg away on Friday before returning home to take on Slovakia on Monday
- Woltemade, 23, has only played six games for Germany since making his debut in June
India captain says will travel for Pakistan clash despite boycott
- Pakistan have announced they will boycott their match against India on Feb. 15 in Sri Lanka
- India need to be at the stadium on Feb. 15 to ensure they are awarded two points for match
MUMBAI: India captain Suryakumar Yadav said Thursday that his team would show up in Colombo for their T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan, despite their Group A opponents and arch-rivals boycotting the match.
“We haven’t said no to playing them (Pakistan),” Yadav told reporters at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium, where India will begin their campaign against the United States on Saturday’s opening day.
“They are the ones who have said no. Our flights are booked and we are going to Colombo.”
India need to be at the stadium and ready to take the field for the February 15 match in order to make sure of being awarded the two points for a match forfeit.
The tournament, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, has been overshadowed by weeks of political posturing in the build-up.
Bangladesh were kicked out for refusing to play in India and Pakistan’s government then told its team not to show up at the clash of the arch-rivals as a show of support for Bangladesh.
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in global or regional tournaments events.
India start the T20 World Cup on home soil with a great chance of retaining the title they won two years ago and Yadav agreed they were the side to beat.
“The way we have been playing, it looks like we are the favorites,” he smiled.
If that seemed like an overconfident statement, the India captain was quick to caution: “There are 19 (other) good teams in the tournament, though.
“On a given day, when you play, you have to bring your A-game and play good cricket.”
India know that their opening opponents, the United States, caused the biggest upset of the 2024 tournament when they beat Pakistan in a super over.
Yadav said no team would be taken lightly.
“I’m sure every game will be very important,” he said.
