Overview

• Rudi Völler said Marc-André ter Stegen deserves the chance to come back, emphasizing that he must first regain fitness and be playing regularly.
• Ter Stegen will be sidelined for several months following a back operation and will miss qualifiers against Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg.
• Völler dismissed a Manuel Neuer recall as “not a topic,” even as Hermann Gerland and Lothar Matthäus publicly urged Julian Nagelsmann to bring him back.
• Until ter Stegen returns, Völler expressed full confidence in other options and singled out Oliver Baumann’s outstanding weekend performance for Hoffenheim.
• Nagelsmann continues to plan with ter Stegen as the 2026 starter, though the keeper’s club status has slipped to No. 3 under Hansi Flick at Barcelona and his longer-term role there remains uncertain.