Germany: Why Florian Wirtz will miss Jurgen Klopp's first game

Jurgen Klopp will begin his Germany reign without Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz, despite including the 23-year-old in an extraordinary 44-man squad for the opening four matches of his tenure.

Klopp takes charge of the national team for the first time against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on Thursday as Germany begin their UEFA Nations League campaign.

The former Liverpool manager has already made one highly unusual decision ahead of his debut, splitting 44 players into two separate groups for four matches across an extended international window.

That means several leading Germany players will not be available throughout the break.

Wirtz is among them.

The Liverpool attacker has been placed in the second group and will therefore miss Klopp's first two matches against the Netherlands and Greece before joining up for the games against Serbia and Greece.

Jamal Musiala, meanwhile, is in the first squad alongside Arsenal forward Kai Havertz, meaning Germany's two outstanding attacking midfielders will initially be kept apart.

Wirtz must wait for first chance under Klopp

Wirtz's absence from the Amsterdam fixture should not be interpreted as a demotion.

Klopp has deliberately constructed two groups containing a mixture of established internationals and younger players as he attempts to assess as much of Germany's talent pool as possible.

The huge selection also reflects the physical demands of four Nations League fixtures in a short period.

Most members of the first group will return to their clubs after facing the Netherlands and Greece, with the second set of players taking over for the final two games.

That arrangement offers Klopp the chance to experiment without asking his leading players to complete the entire international programme.

For Wirtz, it means his reunion with the coach who remains synonymous with Liverpool will have to wait.

The 23-year-old is expected to become an important part of Germany's next cycle towards Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup, particularly alongside Musiala.

However, Klopp will not get an immediate opportunity to test the pair together.

Musiala is available for the opening games, while Wirtz will enter the picture later in the window.

The decision could also be useful for Liverpool, with Wirtz currently under scrutiny for his club performances and avoiding the first half of Germany's demanding four-match schedule before reporting for international duty.

Klopp begins reshaping Germany without his full attack

Wirtz's absence is only one indication that Klopp is treating his first international window as an extended audition rather than attempting to settle immediately on a preferred XI.

Germany are coming off another disappointing World Cup campaign and the new head coach has made clear that players will have opportunities to establish themselves during the rebuild.

One of his clearest early tactical decisions concerns Joshua Kimmich.

The Bayern Munich veteran has frequently been used at right-back for the national team in recent years, but Klopp intends to restore him to midfield.

That has contributed to the number of specialist full-backs called up, with several options being assessed on both sides of the defence.

Klopp's first group nevertheless contains an experienced spine.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is expected to become the new first-choice goalkeeper, Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck provide established options at centre-back, Kimmich should occupy midfield and Havertz is among the leading candidates to play through the middle.

Around them, younger and less established players will be given opportunities to show whether they can cope with the intensity Klopp is expected to demand.

That emphasis should be familiar to Premier League supporters after his eight-year spell at Liverpool.

Klopp's best club sides were built around aggressive pressing, quick transitions and players capable of repeatedly producing high-intensity actions, and Germany's expanded player pool gives him the opportunity to identify who best fits those demands.

Wirtz would seemingly be an obvious candidate for a prominent role in that long-term project.

Just not from game one.

While Klopp begins his Germany career against the Netherlands on Thursday, one of the players most closely associated with his former club will instead have to wait for the second half of an unusual international experiment.