Nagelsmann confirms Neuer will sit out Germany's friendly fixture with Finland

The German head coach discussed who will start in goals against Finland and other points of discussion as the World Cup nears.

Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images.

As the build up to the 2026 World Cup begins, Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed that Manuel Neuer won't feature in Germany's friendly clash with Finland this Sunday. 

“That was our decision, and he agreed to it. We'll give an update on how things are looking for him ahead of the USA friendly. Oli Baumann will play on Sunday and will do well," he said. 

Regarding the rest of the squad, Nagelsmann said he wouldn't discount Lennart Karl from a starting spot, discussed Jamal Musiala's health and cover for Joshua Kimmich at right-back.

“A lot depends on how he [Karl] performs and presents himself in the next couple of weeks. His start was exceptionally good. He made a very quick impression.

"I can't say he's significantly better in one position over the other. Whether he starts or not, we'll discuss that with him, and he'll have to show on the pitch how ready he is.

“He's [Musiala] taken important steps in recent weeks. He intuitively does a lot of the right things – the important thing is that he plays freely and doesn't overthink things.

"Even if Jamal plays at 70%, he's still better than many others. I'll be happy if he's at 100% for the first game. He still has some time; we're not putting him under pressure.

"We have a brilliant partner for him in Flo Wirtz. He doesn't have to orchestrate everything on his own. If they both work well together, we'll naturally be a better team.

“We have several options [after Kimmich at right-back]; it depends on the game or the situation in the group. There are more attacking and more defensive options.

There isn't a classic backup, but that's a conscious choice we made. If something happens to Joshua, it won't be the end of the world. We already have ideas," he added.