Klopp Excludes Undav from Germany Squad but Keeps Him in Mind
Deniz Undav is out of Jürgen Klopp’s first Germany squad, but not out of his thoughts.
According to Bild, the national team coach still counts the 30-year-old VfB Stuttgart striker as part of his long-term plans. The two are even reported to have already met in Stuttgart for face-to-face talks about the future of the national team setup. The message from that meeting: this is about fitness, not faith.
Klopp’s decision to omit Undav is said to be based solely on the forward’s physical condition. The Achilles tendon problems that have dogged him for weeks have not gone away. They have shaped his start to the new season.
Undav was forced off early in each of Stuttgart’s first two Bundesliga matches. In the 2–1 defeat at TSG Hoffenheim at the weekend, he did not start at all, coming on only from the bench. The rhythm that defined his explosive 2023/24 campaign has yet to return.
So far in the Bundesliga, the prolific finisher is still waiting for his first goal involvement of the season. The numbers look very different once the cup competitions come into view. In the DFB Cup win over Hansa Rostock and the Champions League victory against Viking Stavanger, Undav delivered two assists in each game. When the stage has been knockout football, his touch has been there.
From Germany’s top scorer to watching on
The contrast with last season is stark. Undav finished the campaign as the highest-scoring German striker, hitting 25 goals in all competitions and adding 14 assists. No other German forward matched that blend of volume and productivity.
On the international stage, he was one of the few bright sparks during Germany’s World Cup debacle in North America. Used mostly as a super sub in a side that never truly convinced, he still managed to stand out with his impact from the bench. When Germany fell to Paraguay in the round of 32, Undav started but, like the rest of the team, remained ineffective on the night.
His overall record for the national team underlines why Klopp is reluctant to move on without him: 13 caps, nine goals. That is elite output at international level, and it explains why this omission is being framed as a pause, not a break.
Undav is expected to use the upcoming international break to work on his fitness and get himself back to full physical sharpness. The window that others will use to impress Klopp on the pitch, he will use in the gym and on the training ground.
Stuttgart’s mixed fortunes in Klopp’s first list
Undav is not the only World Cup player from Stuttgart to miss out. Angelo Stiller (25) and Jamie Leweling (25) are also absent from Klopp’s maiden squad, a clear sign that reputation alone no longer guarantees a call-up.
Stuttgart are still represented, though. Finn Jeltsch (20), Maximilian Mittelstädt (29), Josha Vagnoman (25) and Chris Führich (28) have all made the cut and will report for duty under the new national coach.
For Undav, the picture is more nuanced than a simple snub. Klopp has drawn a line under his first squad, but he has left the door wide open. The question now is how quickly Germany’s most productive striker of last season can force it back off its hinges.
