Florian Wirtz in Germany Squad as Jürgen Klopp Searches for Progress

Jürgen Klopp has named his second Germany squad, and for Liverpool supporters the headline is simple, Florian Wirtz is in. Germany face Serbia away and the Netherlands at home in their final two Nations League group matches, with Klopp still looking for traction after a mixed opening spell.

The numbers are plain enough. Germany are third in Group A2 on five points, three behind both the Netherlands and Greece. Klopp has yet to win in his first two matches as permanent head coach, a sequence that put him alongside Sepp Herberger and Helmut Schon in an unwanted bit of history. Since then, there has at least been some correction.

Germany Squad Shows Klopp Still Testing Options

His first camp started badly, a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in Amsterdam, followed by a 1-0 defeat to Greece in Augsburg. That loss mattered. It was Greece’s first ever win over Germany. Klopp responded by changing everything for the Serbia match in Munich, selecting a completely new starting XI and handing three players their debuts. Germany won 2-0.

They then drew 0-0 in Thessaloniki, a game defined by wastefulness rather than control. Germany had 21 shots and failed to score, though Klopp said he was “super happy” with the first step. That probably tells you where the bar is right now. Germany are a side between ideas, with Klopp still trying to establish hierarchy, rhythm and reliability.

Florian Wirtz Given Another Chance

Wirtz remains central to that process. He missed the first two games of Klopp’s reign after the coach split a 44-man pool into separate groups, but he made an impact when he joined for the Serbia fixture. He scored Germany’s second goal in the 61st minute and hit the post in the move that led to Tom Bischof’s opener.

Photo: IMAGO

Klopp has already gone out of his way to lower the temperature around him. After his first squad announcement, he argued that Germany need to stop waiting for moments of magic from Wirtz and instead create the conditions for him to play with comfort and clarity. That is sensible. Wirtz is talented enough to change matches, but asking him to carry everything helps nobody.

Liverpool Form Adds Pressure Before Nations League Games

His club form makes this call-up more interesting. Wirtz arrived at Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in June 2025 for £100m, potentially rising to £116.5m with add-ons. So far, the return has been light, one goal in 13 appearances in all competitions, no Premier League goals, and two league assists.

At the weekend, his free-kick struck the crossbar in Liverpool’s 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal before he was substituted in the 81st minute. It was only Liverpool’s second defeat under Andoni Iraola, but it left them nine points behind the leaders. Context matters, pressure follows price tags, and Wirtz is feeling both.

Klopp’s wider Germany squad includes recalled striker Niclas Fuellkrug, now 33 and leading the Bundesliga scoring chart with nine goals, plus a first senior call-up for 17-year-old Wael Mohya of Borussia Mönchengladbach. Seven Bayern Munich players are included. Nick Woltemade, Karim Adeyemi, Nadiem Amiri and David Raum are out. The squad meets in Herzogenaurach on Monday. For Wirtz, this is another chance to reset, and he needs it.