Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann fears injuries more than yellow card suspensions as he plans an unchanged starting 11 on a much criticized Frankfurt pitch in Sunday's Euro 2024 Group A finale against Switzerland.
Finishing top of the group is the aim for hosts Germany, for whom a draw would suffice after beating Scotland 5-1 and Hungary 2-0. The second-placed Swiss need a victory to win the group, after beating Hungary 3-1 and drawing 1-1 with Scotland.
There had been speculation that Nagelsmann could bench defenders Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rüdiger, Maximilian Mittelstädt and midfielder Robert Andrich, who have been booked in the first two games.
A second yellow card leads to a one-game suspension until after the quarter-finals.
Looming suspensions no line-up criteria
But Nagelsmann told reporters on Saturday in Frankfurt he had full faith in his players and rather wants to field the same starting 11 as in the first two games to have them prepared for the knock-outs.
"I don't take the yellow card situation into consideration because I trust the squad," Nagelsmann said.
"The players should throw everything into it until the rules ban them. And then another player will come in and do just as well.
"In general, it's important to maintain the rhythm at national team level. We don't have that much training time and playing time together."
Tah agreed, saying: "You know that there is a risk. But that won't change the way I go into tackles."
Frankfurt pitch a concern
The Bayer Leverkusen defender Tah reiterated that they want to win the group to make a statement, and that the poor pitch conditions in Frankfurt will be no excuse.
"There's nothing we can do about it. We have to adapt as best we can," he said. "We want to win every game. We want to win the group because we want to see our name at the top."
Nagelsmann said he was "only worried about injuries" on the slippery pitch, naming cruciate knee ligaments tears a worst-case scenario if a player gets stuck in the turf.
"Its like driving with summer tyres in winter," he said, naming the pitch conditions "really not good."
Winning the group is the aim
He echoed Tah when he said "you play the games to win" and that he was not looking at potential last 16 opponents. They include England, who beat Germany at that stage at the last Euros in 2021.
"We can't influence who our opponent will be in the knockout round. We want to keep our rhythm. It doesn't matter who our next opponent is," Nagelsmann insisted.
The coach can draw on a full complement of players as all 26 Germany players were on the pitch for the final training session on Saturday, which took place at their base in the northern Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach before the bus journey to Frankfurt.
Kroos v Xhaka
The match will feature an intriguing midfield duel between Real Madrid's Champions League winner Toni Kroos of Germany and Swiss Granit Xhaka who won a German league and Cup double with Bayer Leverkusen. Xhaka will face Leverkusen team-mates Tah, Andrich and Florian Wirtz.
Tah named Kroos "an outstanding player" who "controls the pace at the right moments."
Looking at Xhaka, he added: "I have a very good relationship with Granit. He is a leader and always wants to win. I am looking forward to tomorrow."
