Jürgen Klopp Faces Early Challenge with Germany Squad

Jürgen Klopp’s Germany plans have taken an early hit before they’ve even properly begun.

The new national team coach is set to name his first squad next Thursday for Nations League games against the Netherlands, Greece and Serbia. One of the brightest young options for that list, Assan Ouédraogo, is now a major doubt.

The RB Leipzig midfielder suffered a fresh shoulder injury in his side’s 5-0 demolition of Hamburg on Sunday. He started the match but lasted only 35 minutes, forced off after a collision with Albert Grønbæk that immediately raised alarm on the Leipzig bench.

For Klopp, the timing is brutal. His debut squad was expected to blend established names with a handful of emerging talents, and Ouédraogo had pushed himself firmly into that conversation with his performances in Saxony.

Leipzig, though, fear the worst. Initial concerns are that the problem is linked to the same shoulder injury that sidelined the 20-year-old throughout last August.

“I think it's the same injury. Things don't look promising. We need him. He is an amazing talent, both for Germany and for our club,” the Leipzig manager said.

That talent has been constantly interrupted. Since joining Leipzig in 2024, injuries have stalked Ouédraogo’s progress. He has already spent more than 380 days out of action, a staggering figure for a player still at the start of his career.

Now, just as a first senior Germany call-up felt within reach, he may again be forced to watch from the stands for several weeks – and Klopp’s first big decision in charge could be one he never wanted to face: planning his new era without one of the country’s most gifted young midfielders.