Stefan Ortega, the goalie for Manchester City, has been called up to the German national team for the first time. They will play in the Nations League. The 32-year-old was added to coach Julian Nagelsmann’s 23-man group. The other goalkeepers are Alexander Nuebel from Stuttgart and Oliver Baumann from Hoffenheim. Germany’s normal first-choice goalkeeper, Marc-André ter Stegen, is out with a serious knee injury, so Ortega was chosen to fill in.
This is a big moment in Ortega’s international career because he might now play his first game for Germany. The national team is already in the quarterfinals of the Nations League. They have won three games and tied one in their group. In November, they will play their last games in the group stage. On November 16, Germany will meet Bosnia and Herzegovina in Freiburg, and on November 19, they will go to Budapest to play Hungary. Even though they already won their group, Nagelsmann said they wanted to win the whole thing, and they especially wanted to do it in front of their home people in Freiburg.
Ortega was added to the group along with Julian Brandt and Felix Nmecha, both of whom play for Borussia Dortmund and are returning to the national team. Brandt hasn’t played for Germany since November of the previous year, and Nmecha’s only game was in March 2023, when he was young and the boss was Hansi Flick. Both players have been doing well for their teams, which is likely one reason why they were called up. In particular, Brandt’s return marks his return after a productive time at Dortmund, where he was an important part of their middle.
The German team also has a lot of players who can’t play because they’re hurt. Along with Ter Stegen, Niclas Füllkrug of West Ham, Jamie Leweling of Stuttgart, Aleksander Pavlovic of Bayern Munich, Leroy Sané of Bayern Munich, Waldemar Anton of Dortmund, and David Raum of RB Leipzig will all miss the next games because they are hurt. Nagelsmann is still optimistic about his team, though, saying that even with these players out, they have enough depth and ability to do well. He admitted that some roles might need to be changed, but he insisted that the group was still strong and could compete at the highest level.
The story of 18-year-old Paul Wanner is one of the more interesting ones related to the call-up. The player on loan from Bayern Munich to Heidenheim turned down the call-up to the senior team and instead chose to stay with Germany’s U-21 side. Wanner can play for both Germany and Austria at the senior level. He hasn’t decided which country he will play for in the long term, but the fact that he turned down the call-up shows that he is focused on continuing to grow with the U-21s for now.
Even though some players are hurt, Germany still has a good core of players in their Nations League group for the upcoming games. Jamal Musiala, who has been in great form for Bayern Munich, is likely to be in the middle of the defense, along with experienced players like Joshua Kimmich, who is still an important part of both Bayern and the national team. Serge Gnabry and Kai Havertz will be very important for Germany’s attack as they try to win their Nations League group.
Germany’s defense also has veterans like Nico Schlotterbeck and Antonio Rüdiger, who are both very important for their club teams. In the attack, Tim Kleindienst of Borussia Mönchengladbach and Deniz Undav of Stuttgart give Germany more options up front and make it more competitive for spots in Nagelsmann’s attacking system.
Germany is still in a good place to finish their Nations League group on a high note and feel confident going into the quarterfinals, even though a few key players are out with injuries. Germany’s depth will be tested by the absence of key players like Leroy Sané, who is working to get match fit again after an injury. However, Nagelsmann’s tactical flexibility and the general quality of the squad should ensure they continue to perform at a high level.
Overall, injuries have limited some of Germany’s options for the future games, but the team is still strong and can finish their Nations League group with the result they want. Key players like Brandt and Nmecha are back and Ortega has been called up. This gives the team more strength and new energy as they try to build momentum before the quarterfinals.
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