The latest incarnation of Antonio di Salvo’s Germany U21 squad features some interesting changes from the September round of call-ups. The youngsters representing Germany at the highest youth level return to action after winning both of their fixtures last month. Di Salvo’s charges bested Albania 2-0 in a friendly and ensured that their 2027 UEFA U21 European Championship qualifying campaign got off to a successful start with a 5-0 win over Latvia in Rostock.
Get German Football News was pleased to supply full coverage of the U21s last month and we will do so again in the second International break of the 2025/26 cycle. The full squad list can be found below. First – on the very same day that Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann confirmed his latest round of call-ups – there are several interesting talking points to discuss
Nnamdi Collins and Tom Bischof return to youth level
After a highly publicized rough outing under Nagelsmann in September, defender Nnamdi Collins is back working under Di Salvo while the more experienced Ridle Baku heads back to Nagelsmann. Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof who (like Collins) has earned one senior national team cap, will also be working with the U21s this time around. Bischof actually never represented Germany at U21 level before.
In a move that did catch some criticism in the German press, Nagelsmann opted to directly promote Bischof from U20 to senior level. The 20-year-old Bischof remained unavailable for either coach in September due to an emergency appendectomy. Bischof recently made his Bayern starting XI debut and drew quite a bit of praise from his FCB teammates, meaning he could be back under Nagelsmann’s command soon.
Paul Wanner begins his journey back
In the autumn of 2024, speculation as to whether certified attacking phenom Paul Wanner would opt to play for either Germany or Austria remained rampant. A literal deluge of articles in the German press chronicled Wanner’s thought process after the then 18-year-old amassed three scorer points in two September matches for his then loan club, 1. FC Heidenheim. A little over a year later, it’s an entirely different story.
Wanner would end up scoring just once more for Heidenheim over the course of the rest of the league campaign. This summer, despite the fact that Jamal Musiala’s injury accorded him a chance to break through for the German record champions, Wanner opted to part ways with Bayern Munich entirely. A foot injury left Wanner unavailable for selection back in September. The now 19-year-old seeks to restore his status as a hot commodity.
Assan Ouédraogo gets a shot
Former Schalke 04 star Assan Ouédraogo has overcome an injury riddled first season with the German Red Bulls, a rather tame training camp, and a clear bench role in the first three Bundesliga match-days under RB head coach Ole Werner. The 19-year-old started against 1. FC Köln on match-four and scored his first Bundesliga goal. Ouédraogo started against Wolfsburg last week and now looks to be a regular under Werner.
Ouédraogo, like Bischoff, is still awaiting his first U21 cap. The four players from the September roster making room for Wanner, Collins, Bischof, and Ouédraogo are Hoffenheim’s Umut Tohumcu, Augsburg’s Anton Kade, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Elias Baum, and (injured) VfB Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch. Augsburg’s Mert Kömür – who left camp injured last time and was replaced by Wolfsburg’s Aaron Zehnter – is back while Zehnter is left off.
No. 1 Keeper and captaincy auditions continue
Jeltsch was one of two players (Union Berlin’s Aljoscha Kemlein being the other) who Di Salvo tapped to don the captain’s armband in the two September matches. The DFB-Juniors are seeking a new skipper now that Köln’s Eric Martel is no longer eligible to fill the role. An official new captain has not been named yet. The same also suddenly applies to the No. 1 keeper role.
Werder Bremen’s Mio Backhaus emerged as the clear favorite to serve as the future No. 1 after the September international break. An unfortunate shoulder injury nevertheless now endangers Backhaus’ job at his Bundesliga club as well. Stuttgart loan-out Dennis Seimen and Burnley’s Max Weiß will seek to take advantage of the opportunity. Hannover 96 loan-out Leon-Oumar Wechsel takes Backhaus’ roster slot.
Di Salvo’s words
The German U21s actually face a pair of tough opponents in Greece (in Jena on October 10th) and Northern Ireland (in Belfast on October 14th). Di Salvo listed the specific players on the Greek U21 side he finds himself concerned about. In a nod to the German senior men team’s laborious win over the Northern Ireland seniors last month, Di Salvo made it clear that the Irons should not be taken lightly.
“Our upcoming opponents present a different challenge for us,” Di Salvo remarked at a DFB press event on Thursday. “Greece also won 5-0 in their opening game and have three top offensive talents in their ranks: Stefanos Tzimas, Charalampos Kostoulas, and Georgios Koutsias. Our senior national team has seen just how difficult Northern Ireland is to play against.”
The Full squad
Dennis Seimen (SC Paderborn), Max Weiß (FC Burnley), Leon-Oumar Wechsel (GKS Tychy)
Hendry Blank (Hannover 96), Nnamdi Collins (Eintracht Frankfurt), Linus Gechter (Hertha BSC), Leandro Morgalla (VfL Bochum), Joshua Quarshie (FC Southampton), Tom Rothe (Union Berlin), Lukas Ullrich (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Noel Aseko Nkili (Hannover 96), Muhammmed Damar (TSG Hoffenheim), Said El Mala (1. FC Köln), Brajan Gruda (Brighton & Hove Albion), Aljoscha Kemlein (Union Berlin), Mert Kömür (FC Augsburg), Paul Wanner (PSV Eindhoven), Tom Bischof (Bayern Munich), Assan Ouédraogo (RB Leipzig)
Ilyas Ansah (Union Berlin), Dzenan Pejcinovic (VfL Wolfsburg), Nicolo Tresoldi (Club Brugge), Nelson Weiper (Mainz 05)
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