Germany head coach Joachim Low is considering a dramatic U-turn that would see Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels invited back to the national team.
With the delayed Euro 2020 finals coming up in June, Low wants Germany to be as strong as possible, and a 6-0 thrashing by Spain in November was a result that pointed to a need for a change in direction.
Low's own future has come in for scrutiny, and there have even been suggestions Bayern Munich's treble-winning boss Hansi Flick could replace him.
The 2014 World Cup-winning coach declared in March 2019 that it was time for Germany to move on from the old guard, stating that Muller, Hummels and Jerome Boateng – all world champions themselves – would no longer be part of his plans.
It was a decision that Muller at the time said left him "dumbfounded", and Bayern were also critical, with all three players belonging to the Bavarian giants at that time.
Hummels has since moved on to Borussia Dortmund where the 32-year-old defender remains one of German football's star performers. Only Arminia Bielefeld's towering striker Fabian Klos (146) has won more balls in the air this season than Hummels (118) and just two players have made more blocks than his 22, taking all competitions into account.
Bayern midfielder Muller is one of only two players from the Bundesliga to reach doubles figures for goals and assists in all competitions this term, posting 13 and 12 respectively, with Dortmund's Jadon Sancho the other.
"Special circumstances can justify an interruption in the upheaval," Low said in an interview with Kicker magazine.
On the specific matter of Hummels, Boateng and Muller, Low said: "That will be a difficult and important question, also for me
"The character of Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels is that they do not oppress others."
Dortmund pair Adeyemi and Duranville sidelined in double injury blow
Borussia Dortmund will be without Karim Adeyemi and Julien Duranville for several weeks after they were injured in Tuesday's 7-1 Champions League victory over Celtic, coach Nuri Sahin has revealed.
The Ruhr valley club earned their biggest-ever European win in midweek, crushing the Scottish champions with Germany international Adeyemi scoring a hat-trick before being taken off with a muscle injury and replaced by 18-year-old Belgium international Duranville.
Duranville later sustained an injury of his own and both players will be absent until late November, missing Saturday's trip to Union Berlin as well as seven further games.
"We will be without Karim and Julien for some time. They are expected to be back after the international break in mid-November," Sahin said at Friday's pre-match press conference.
He added Giovanni Reyna, sidelined since last month, will also delay his comeback after suffering a setback in his recovery.
Dortmund, who are currently fifth in the Bundesliga on 10 points, three behind leaders Bayern, are seeking their first pair of back-to-back league wins under Sahin at Union.
BVB have struggled for consistency so far, suffering a 5-1 defeat at Stuttgart two weeks ago then bouncing back with a 4-2 win over Bochum and cruising past Celtic in Europe.
"When something is supposed to grow together you need time," Sahin said. "Every day in this development is important. I am not looking for excuses.
"I know well how to rank the Celtic game. It is not that we are hugging each other saying 'we are the coolest' because we won 7-1.
"We are expected to deliver such performances every three days and if we win on Saturday then the world may look a bit cooler."
De Bruyne to skip Nations League fixtures to manage workload
Kevin De Bruyne has asked to skip Belgium's remaining Nations League fixtures for 2024 in order to manage his workload, coach Domenico Tedesco has revealed.
On Friday, Tedesco named his 23-man squad for the Red Devils' upcoming games against Italy and France in Group A2, with De Bruyne the headline omission.
De Bruyne played both of Belgium's games in the September international break, as they beat Israel 3-1 before losing 2-0 to France in Lyon.
After that latter match, he made headlines by questioning the mentality and fighting spirit of Tedesco's team, but he has reaffirmed his commitment to continuing on the international stage until at least the 2026 World Cup.
With Manchester City facing a gruelling schedule this term after qualifying for the first 32-team Club World Cup, the midfielder has taken steps to protect his fitness.
"I had a long phone conversation with Kevin. He has an injury, but he is very motivated to continue with the Red Devils and to play the World Cup in 2026," Tedesco said when announcing his latest squad.
"He has asked to skip this camp and also November, to take care of his body. The schedule has become even busier due to the Club World Cup.
"That is why he is not there now and in November. But when it really counts – the World Cup – he will be there."
Tedesco was also asked if De Bruyne's comments last month had led to any negative repercussions in the squad, but he insisted the controversy surrounding them was unwarranted.
"Kevin is a big player, but also a big personality," he added. "We talked after what happened in the last match. Of course he was emotional, he always wants to win. But he never mentioned names in the media. We just have to deal with it.
"In the media it has become a big item, just because it was Kevin who said it. But in the dressing room it is not a big topic."
Romelu Lukaku is the other big-name absentee from Belgium's latest squad, with the Red Devils' all-time leading scorer failing to win a recall after being dropped last month, despite recording four Serie A goal involvements for Napoli in a positive start to the season.
Belgium squad: Koen Casteels (Al Qadsiah), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), Maarten Vandevoordt (RB Leipzig), Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolfsburg), Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting Lisbon), Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge), Koni De Winter (Genoa), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Matte Smets (Genk), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt), Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Arne Engels (Augsburg), Orel Mangala (Lyon), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Johan Bakayoko (PSV), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Malick Fofana (Lyon), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla), Lois Openda (RB Leipzig) Cyril Ngonge (Napoli), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).
Carsley: No more 'copy and paste' England squads
Interim England boss Lee Carsley says he will not "copy and paste" his squads, with players to be rewarded for strong club form with Three Lions call-ups.
Carsley oversaw 2-0 Nations League victories over the Republic of Ireland and Finland last month, having taken the reins on a temporary basis after Gareth Southgate's resignation.
The former under-21 boss announced his latest 25-man squad for upcoming matches against Greece and Finland on Thursday, making four changes from last month's party.
Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke won his first call-up in seven years, with Eberechi Eze, Harry Maguire, Tino Livramento and Jarrod Bowen all left out.
Predecessor Southgate was often criticised for sticking with a trusted core of players during his eight-year spell with the Three Lions, but Carsley says nobody is guaranteed a place under him.
"In the back of my mind, I wanted to make sure it feels fresh," Carsley said.
"When you get that email or WhatsApp to say that you've been called up, it's an achievement because it shouldn't be something that is taken for granted.
"I thought it was important that it was not just a copy and paste. I want them to feel like they have earned their place in the squad."
Tottenham midfielder James Maddison and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford – both of whom were left out of Southgate's Euro 2024 squad – were among the players to be overlooked.
Carsley said he had been left with several tough decisions to make but had prioritised those in form in order to build rhythm before the 2026 World Cup qualifiers start next year.
"The players I've left out, I could make a case for them being in, but ultimately I have to make those decisions," Carsley said.
"The reality is you want a player to be coming in in top form and fighting for a position in the team.
"Getting out of this Nations League is important for us in terms of setting up World Cup qualification. Whether I'm here or not, it's important we are in a favourable pattern and in a position to win the World Cup."
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