Overview
- Nico Schlotterbeck suffered an interior ligament rupture in his ankle in the second group game on Wednesday and is out of the tournament but will remain with the squad in a specialist boot with FIFA permission to sit on the bench.
- Julian Nagelsmann confirmed only minimal changes for the final Group E match, naming Antonio Rüdiger and David Raum to replace injured defenders while keeping Manuel Neuer as the starting goalkeeper for continuity.
- Deniz Undav has become a high‑impact substitute after late goals in earlier matches and is expected to remain a joker off the bench rather than a regular starter.
- Nagelsmann sharply criticized the expanded 48‑team format because the longer knockout structure delays knowledge of the Round of 32 opponent and compresses the coaching staff’s preparation window.
- FIFA trial rule changes at the tournament include expanded VAR review rights and stricter restart time limits and referee experts from the DFB/DFL plan to implement selected measures domestically from July 1.