The World Cup qualifying campaign remains the focus, with group standings showing only the group winner advancing directly to the finals.

Despite Koch’s omission, he can still push for a comeback through club performances, while Frankfurt teammates Jonathan Burkardt and Nathaniel Brown earned spots in the 25-man squad for the final qualifiers.

Germany head into the fixtures top of Group A with nine points from three games, seeking two more wins (or a combination of results) to secure direct qualification.

National team activities include a public recovery session for fans planned at the AOK Stadium, with tickets on sale and players reporting to Wolfsburg for training ahead of the matches.

Robin Koch’s absence is due to a string of weaker performances, while Malick Thiaw enters the contention as a new defensive option.

The squad will assemble in Wolfsburg for a public training session, as Germany leads Group A and eyes direct qualification with minimal remaining fixtures.

Lennart Karl will not be part of the squad despite recent standout form.

Germany have called up Cologne teenager Said El Mala for the World Cup qualifier double against Luxembourg and Slovakia, marking his first senior national team call-up after a breakout season with four goals and two assists in nine Bundesliga appearances.

The squad also includes established stars such as Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Oliver Baumann, and Nick Woltemade, while several players miss out or are sidelined through injury, including Marc-André ter Stegen, Antonio Rüdiger, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz, Niclas Füllkrug, and Tim Kleindienst.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann stressed a carefree, unburdened style and mentioned integrating under-21 talents into the senior setup from time to time, following consultation with Toni Di Salvo.

The aim is to finish top of qualifying Group A to secure direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico; otherwise, the team would enter playoff contention in March 2026.

Germany’s World Cup group draw is set for December in Washington, with further details on squad decisions and background information drawn from tz reports.

Robin Koch has faced fluctuating form and a defensively leaky run for Eintracht, contributing to his fall to fifth-choice center-back in the national team plans.