By Betsefy
Germany centre-back Antonio Rudiger will not be available for Monday’s UEFA Nations League finale with England.
The Real Madrid man picked up his second booking of the tournament in Friday’s 1-0 loss to Hungary in League A Group 3, which ended Die Mannschaft’s hopes of qualifying for the finals.
Rudiger will therefore serve a suspension this week, and his absence opens up a spot for Nico Schlotterbeck to join Borussia Dortmund teammate Niklas Sule at the back, but Matthias Ginter, Thilo Kehrer and Armel Bella-Kotchap are also available to Hansi Flick.
Germany may have nothing left to play for, but Flick should still hand Marc-Andre ter Stegen the gloves after Manuel Neuer was forced to leave the camp owing to COVID-19 infection.
Jonas Hofmann should keep Benjamin Henrichs at bay for the right-back position, but Robin Gosens could displace David Raum on the opposite side given the unforgiving 72-hour turnaround.
Joshua Kimmich and Ilkay Gundogan are unlikely to be afforded any rest in the middle, with Flick also losing Leon Goretzka to coronavirus before the defeat to Hungary.
Julian Brandt was also forced to leave the camp due to a different illness, and Thomas Muller can therefore expect to hold his spot in the final third, where changes can certainly be expected.
Jamal Musiala elected to represent Germany over England at senior level and is pushing to replace Serge Gnabry, while Kai Havertz could operate at the tip of the attack over former Chelsea teammate Timo Werner, with Leroy Sane completing the lineup on the left.
Germany possible starting lineup: Ter Stegen; Hofmann, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Raum; Kimmich, Gundogan; Musiala, Muller, Sane; Havertz
> Click here to see how England could line up for this clash
