Said El Mala Expected in Jürgen Klopp's First Germany Squad

Jürgen Klopp is set to put his own stamp on Germany straight away – and Said El Mala looks like one of the first big calls of the new era.

According to Kicker, the 20-year-old 1. FC Köln winger is expected to be named in Klopp’s inaugural Germany squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, with the list due to be announced on Thursday.

It would be El Mala’s second step into the senior national team picture. Julian Nagelsmann first called him up in November last year, a nod to his rapid rise in the Bundesliga, but the youngster never got off the bench and is still waiting for his debut.

This time, the timing feels different.

El Mala opened the new league campaign by scoring in Köln’s wild 3-2 win over Hoffenheim, a performance that underlined why he has become one of the most talked-about young attackers in Germany. Illness then kept him out of the 4-1 loss to Stuttgart, but he returned at the weekend, coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen.

That brief cameo followed a breakout season that put him firmly on the radar. Last term, El Mala delivered 13 goals and five assists in 34 Bundesliga appearances, numbers that demand attention at any club, let alone from a 20-year-old in a side fighting at the wrong end of the table.

Klopp now appears ready to reward that form. If the call-up is confirmed on Thursday, the next question will be simple: does Said El Mala stay on the fringes again, or does the Klopp era begin with a bold debut for one of Köln’s brightest talents?