Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp has explained why Serge Gnabry left the national team camp early ahead of Sunday’s UEFA Nations League clash with Greece.
Gnabry returned to Bayern Munich after featuring in all three of Germany’s previous matches during the current international break. The DFB confirmed that the forward would not be part of the squad for the trip to Thessaloniki.
Klopp said Gnabry had felt the strain after playing 45 minutes in Germany’s most recent match, a 2-0 victory over Serbia. The coach stressed that the decision was taken as a precaution rather than because of a new injury.
“We didn’t want to rush things,” Klopp said, explaining that Gnabry could have remained with the squad but would benefit from having additional time before returning to normal training with Bayern.
The decision also reflects Gnabry’s need to carefully manage his workload after a difficult period with injuries. He missed the World Cup earlier in the year with an adductor problem and has been gradually rebuilding his fitness through regular playing time.
Gnabry had featured in all three of Germany’s matches during the international break and was handed the captain’s armband for the first time during the win over Serbia. He had previously played in the draws against the Netherlands and Germany’s defeat by Greece.
The Bayern forward had also acknowledged after the Serbia match that he was not yet at full fitness, although he said regular minutes were important for his recovery and conditioning.
Germany will now travel to Thessaloniki looking to build on their victory over Serbia. Klopp's side are seeking a better result against Greece after losing the reverse fixture 1-0 in Augsburg.
Klopp said Greece have several talented attacking players who play for major European clubs and warned that Germany will face a strong opponent. The German coach said his team has a good idea of how Greece are likely to approach the match.
Gnabry's early return means he will have additional time to prepare for Bayern Munich's return to Bundesliga action, with the club expected to assess his fitness before its next league fixture.