Overview
- On Monday Klopp publicly signalled Joshua Kimmich may not be untouchable after keeping him only for the first part of his 44-player squad and sending him home for the latter matches.
- Young midfielders Tom Bischof, Aleksandar Pavlović and Florian Wirtz produced strong displays in the matches Kimmich missed, prompting Klopp to explore alternative pairings and player types.
- DFB sporting director Rudi Völler and former captain Lothar Matthäus defended Kimmich as a key leader while ex-captains Oliver Kahn and Michael Ballack criticised aspects of Klopp’s public wording about the captain.
- Klopp says the experiment is performance- and type-driven as he builds a dependable core of about 15–17 players for future internationals and Euro 2028, with November’s matches expected to shape final selections.
- The change has personal and practical effects: Kimmich has spoken of needing time after a painful World Cup exit, Bayern and Germany must manage leadership and load, and public scrutiny could influence team dynamics ahead of November.