News Focus
- Goretzka may play as a central attacking midfielder instead of his usual deeper role
- Germany will compete at the tournament without a classic number nine striker
- Nagelsmann intends to distribute goalscoring duties across multiple players
- The national team faces Finland in a warm-up friendly on Sunday
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann has indicated that Leon Goretzka could feature as an attacking midfielder at the upcoming World Cup. The midfielder is typically deployed in a defensive position, but Nagelsmann now views him as a solution for the number 10 role behind the striker.
“This is certainly a possibility,” Nagelsmann stated during Saturday’s media briefing. “He has netted several times in our training sessions recently. His overall display has been very positive.”
The German squad will travel to the tournament without a conventional centre forward. Consequently, Nagelsmann expects Goretzka and others to add goals from midfield positions.
“We face a key decision,” the manager explained. “Do we possess a typical striker who will certainly score seven to nine goals? Or should we distribute the scoring among multiple players, similar to our approach at the European Championship? We possess numerous squad members capable of scoring three or four goals each. They can also supply assists for their teammates.”
“The strategy involves sharing both goals and assists throughout the team. However, if one individual manages to score seven or eight times, we would welcome that contribution,” he added.
The national team faces Finland on Sunday in an international friendly. This marks the first of two preparatory matches before the World Cup kicks off.