Klopp cannot understand the Kimmich debate: "It means nothing"

Jürgen Klopp has said he cannot understand the debate surrounding Joshua Kimmich's role in the team ahead of Germany's crucial Nations League match against Serbia.

Germany go into the final two matches of Nations League Group A2 three points behind the Netherlands and Greece, and may need to beat Serbia away in Belgrade to keep alive their chances of reaching the quarter-finals. Before the match, however, Klopp could not hide his frustration at the persistent questions over whether Kimmich deserves his place in the starting line-up.

Kimmich had left the camp and returned to Bayern Munich after the first two matches under Klopp, as part of a planned squad change by the head coach. In the experienced player's absence, Bayern's young talents Tom Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlović played in midfield and earned high praise for their performances in the 2-0 win over Serbia and the goalless draw with Greece in the return fixture.

Klopp, for his part, stressed that he was unhappy at the issue being turned into a question of whether Kimmich will be dropped, and said:

"When we are pleased that two young players have done a great job, I don't understand why it is immediately turned into a 'What does it mean for Kimmich?' story. That perception is constantly being created: what does this mean for Joshua Kimmich? It means nothing. I have a very positive view of my team. We have a very good balance in our squad. Tom and Aleks had a great game, and Kimmich wasn't there that day. Felix Nmecha wasn't there either, so I really don't understand this debate that has been opened up."

The German coach, who said that playing high-pressure matches at this level so soon after taking up the job was an advantage, added: "I'm looking forward to this match. It is a test for us. We are doing all this work for one ultimate goal: to be ready for the major tournaments. On Friday we will play a truly competitive and very tough match. It will be a real test to see where we stand and how far we have come. We want to show on the pitch that we have used this time well. As I said, I'm excited about it."