Germany head coach Jurgen Klopp has named a 44-man squad for his first international camp since taking charge of the national team, handing 16 players their first call-ups.Klopp unveiled the enlarged squad on Thursday ahead of Germany’s four Nations League fixtures scheduled for September and October.

The former Liverpool manager explained that the unusual size of the squad was necessary because Germany will play four matches within two weeks.

The squad has been divided into two groups, with the first set of players available for Germany’s away fixture against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24 and the home clash with Greece in Augsburg three days later.

The second group will feature in Germany’s matches against Serbia in Munich on October 1 and Greece in Thessaloniki on October 4.Speaking at a press conference in Frankfurt, Klopp said the arrangement would enable him to assess a wider pool of players.

«“It’s very unusual that you’ve got four games in two weeks with the national team,” Klopp said.»

He added that he wanted to use the period to get to know as many players as possible, stressing that the two groups should not be viewed as an “A-team” and “B-team.”

Klopp targets Germany’s futureKlopp was appointed Germany coach in July as the successor to Julian Nagelsmann following Germany’s elimination from the 2026 World Cup at the last-32 stage.

The early exit marked Germany’s third consecutive early elimination from the tournament.However, Klopp said his assessment of the squad had revealed a wealth of emerging talent.

He said the squad was being assembled with Germany’s long-term future in mind rather than solely for the upcoming Nations League matches.“It’s a squad for two or three years from now, not just for the next four international games,” Klopp said.

Ter Stegen gets goalkeeper role, Kimmich remains captainBarcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been selected as Germany’s preferred first-choice goalkeeper for the time being.

The 34-year-old joined Ajax on a season-long loan in the summer after injuries limited him to 12 competitive appearances over the previous two years.Meanwhile, Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich will continue as Germany captain.

Kimmich, who has 114 international caps, is expected to move from right-back into central midfield, the position he regularly occupies at club level.

Sane, Undav and Goretzka omittedLeroy Sane, Deniz Undav, Leon Goretzka and goalkeeper Oliver Baumann were among the notable players left out of Klopp’s first squad.Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and defender Antonio Rudiger have already retired from international football.

Undav, who was one of Germany’s brighter performers at the 2026 World Cup, was reportedly omitted to allow him time to recover from an Achilles tendon injury.

16 players could make Germany debutsSixteen players named in Klopp’s squad could make their Germany debuts during the Nations League fixtures.

They include Eintracht Frankfurt forward Younes Ebnoutalib, who was playing in Germany’s second tier last season, Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch, Brentford midfielder Vitaly Janelt and Celtic midfielder Mika Baur.

Klopp said several of the newcomers could surprise supporters, adding that his coaching team had identified significant potential in the young players.

The Germany coach said the expanded squad was also intended to give the players an opportunity to develop within the national team setup.Germany will begin the new Nations League campaign against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on September 24.