National team: Matthäus on Füllkrug's World Cup chances: "I would take him with me"

Record national player Lothar Matthäus advises national coach Hansi Flick to nominate Bremen striker Niclas Füllkrug for the World Cup.

National team: Matthäus on Füllkrug's World Cup chances: "I would take him with me"

Record national player Lothar Matthäus advises national coach Hansi Flick to nominate Bremen striker Niclas Füllkrug for the World Cup.

"I would take him with me," said the Sky expert from the German Press Agency. When looking for a striker for the World Cup squad, you need "a tall player who can fight through against a deep defense," said Matthäus. That would make him think of Füllkrug, Nils Petersen from Freiburg or Simon Terodde from Schalke: "Although I see Füllkrug in pole position because of the performance he brings and the number of goals scored."

On the other hand, he does not expect the 17-year-old Dortmund player Youssoufa Moukoko, who is currently working on a regular place at Borussia, to be nominated. "For me, Moukoko is not the very typical number nine," said Matthäus, who is a good friend of Flick's: "He also takes many paths, we already have similar players with Serge Gnabry or Timo Werner."

Matthäus also does not believe that Moukoko's Dortmund club colleague Mats Hummels will be nominated. "If I take Mats Hummels with me, he has to be a regular player. That's why, with all due respect for his performance, which he still brings, I'd say no," explained the world champion captain from 1990: "We have four or five players behind us, the it can. Süle will come. Rüdiger is here, Ginter, who is having an excellent season, Schlotterbeck – then you have four." Matthäus also doesn't expect a World Cup ticket for the 2014 hero Mario Götze: "We have enough players in that position."

For the Leverkusen youngster Florian Wirtz, who has not played since March due to a cruciate ligament rupture, the chances are "fifty fifty", said Matthäus: "I would be happy with him. He is a difference player. I hope that he still can play one or two games before the World Cup or is at least in the squad. Then Hansi Flick can take him with him in coordination with the Leverkusen team, who want to build him up carefully."

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