Klopp Excludes Undav from Germany Squad but Keeps Faith
Deniz Undav is out of Jürgen Klopp’s first Germany squad, but not out of his thoughts.
According to Bild, Klopp still firmly counts on the 30-year-old VfB Stuttgart striker and has already sat down with him in Stuttgart for face-to-face talks about the future of the national team. The message from that meeting: this is not a sporting demotion. His absence is being put down purely to his current fitness.
Undav has been battling persistent Achilles tendon problems for weeks. He was forced off early in each of Stuttgart’s first two Bundesliga fixtures, and in the 2-1 defeat at TSG Hoffenheim at the weekend he only came on as a substitute. The plan now is clear: use the upcoming international break to reset his body and get fully up to speed again.
The numbers underline how far off his usual rhythm he still is in the league. Undav is yet to record a goal or an assist in the Bundesliga this season. The spark has come elsewhere. In the DFB Cup win over Hansa Rostock and in the Champions League victory against Viking Stavanger, he produced two assists in each game, reminding everyone how quickly he can tilt a match when close to his best.
From top scorer to temporary bystander
The decision to leave him out gains weight when set against his recent record. Last season, Undav finished as the highest-scoring German striker across all competitions, hitting 25 goals and adding 14 assists for Stuttgart. Those numbers forced him into the national conversation and then into the squad.
At the World Cup in North America, during Germany’s much-discussed collapse, he was one of the few players to emerge with credit. As a super sub he injected life into a faltering side, one of the rare bright spots in a bleak campaign. In the round-of-32 exit against Paraguay he started but could not influence the game, part of a broader collective failure rather than a personal downturn.
Even so, his international strike rate speaks for itself: nine goals in 13 caps. That kind of return usually guarantees a place. This time, his body has overruled his form.
Stuttgart’s mixed fate in Klopp’s first list
Undav is not the only World Cup name from Stuttgart to miss out. Angelo Stiller and Jamie Leweling, both 25 and both part of that ill-fated tournament squad, are also absent from Klopp’s first selection.
Stuttgart are still represented. Finn Jeltsch (20), Maximilian Mittelstädt (29), Josha Vagnoman (25) and Chris Führich (28) have all made the cut and will get an early look under the new national coach.
For Undav, the picture is different but not bleak. A coach who has already taken the time to meet him in person and who knows his numbers is clearly leaving the door wide open. The question now is simple: once his Achilles settles and the Bundesliga goals start flowing again, how long can Klopp really afford to leave out Germany’s most prolific striker of last season?
