Nagelsmann praises Goretzka amid reports he will start for Germany against Italy | OneFootball

Leon Goretzka is back in the Germany squad for the first time since 2023 after a fine spell with Bayern Munich.

According to Bild, the central midfielder will even start alongside Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller when Germany take on Italy in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League tie on Thursday.

Speaking about Goretzka's return at a press conference on Wednesday, Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann told reporters:

"The decisive factor with the outfield players is their performance and their ability to perform at the moment and how well they fit into what we're trying to do.

“Since Vincent Kompany's arrival, Leon has regained a high status at Bayern. At the end of the day, performance was the deciding factor. He's a good, experienced Bundesliga player and that's why he's here,” added the Germany coach.

Goretzka has scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 57 games for Germany in the past.