Said El Mala: Jürgen Klopp's First Big Call for Germany

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 his reign.

According to Kicker, the new Bundestrainer plans to name the 1. FC Köln winger in his debut squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, with the announcement due on Thursday. It would be a significant show of faith in a 20-year-old who has only just completed his first full Bundesliga season.

El Mala has been on the DFB radar for a while. Julian Nagelsmann brought him into the senior setup for the first time last November, but the youngster never got off the bench and is still waiting for his debut. That wait may soon be over.

He has started this campaign by reminding everyone why he was called up in the first place. El Mala scored in Köln’s breathless 3-2 opening-day win over Hoffenheim, a performance that underlined his direct threat in the final third. Illness then ruled him out of the 4-1 defeat to Stuttgart, but he returned at the weekend, coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen.

The numbers from last season are hard to ignore. In his breakthrough Bundesliga campaign, El Mala racked up 13 goals and five assists in 34 league appearances – standout production for a young wide player in a struggling side.

Klopp wants energy, verticality and fearlessness in wide areas. If the reports are right, Said El Mala is about to find out what it means to bring those qualities onto the international stage.