Kimmich Stands Firm at Right-Back as Injuries Test Germany’s Midfield

Nagelsmann weighs patchwork fixes against role continuity before the final pre-World Cup friendlies.

Overview

Germany captain Joshua Kimmich said the upcoming friendlies are vital tune-ups and urged every called player to show up.
The squad lost midfielders Aleksandar Pavlović and Felix Nmecha to injuries at their clubs, and Julian Nagelsmann called up Angelo Stiller and Chris Führich as replacements.
Kimmich rejected a move back into midfield when asked and said he can bring his strengths to the team from right-back.
Data compiled by analytics site DataMB shows Kimmich near the top in Europe for through balls and passes into the final third, backing his on-field impact.
With Switzerland and Ghana the last warm-ups before the World Cup, Nagelsmann now has to pick combinations that cover losses without breaking his plan for roles.