As the German national team prepares to face Northern Ireland in a Monday World Cup qualifier, head coach Julian Nagelsmann has left two of his late call ups at home in Germany. Freiburg keeper Noah Atubolu and his former Freiburg academy colleague Kevin Schade of Brentford are not traveling with the team to Belfast. Stuttgart winger Jamie Leweling also departed DFB camp yesterday. 

Kicker reports on the absence of Schade and Atubolu. The former was called up to replace Leweling, but will still not receive a chance to earn his first cap in nearly a year. Atubolu’s playing prospects as the fourth choice keeper behind Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann, Stuttgart’s Alexander Nübel, and Augsburg’s Finn Dahmen were always slim. 

Atubolu earned a late call up due to the fact that Baumann was struggling with injury. Baumann nevertheless recovered in time to feature for the full 90 minutes in Friday night’s 4-0 win over Luxembourg in the Sinsheim-based stadium of his Bundesliga club. Schade did not make Julian Nagelsmann’s matchday selection. 

Nagelsmann’s team to Belfast on Sunday accompanied by the Germany U21s, who will also be contesting qualifying fixture for the 2027 U21 European Championship at the Belfast Oval on Tuesday. Antonio Di Salvo’s DFB Juniors weren’t as successful as Nagelsmann’s crew on Friday night, dropping their qualifying match against the Greek U21s.