“On the left we have Flo (Wirtz) and Maxi Beier, on the right Leroy (Sane) and Jamie Leweling. Kai (Havertz) and Jamal (Musiala) can also slot in there,” explained Nagelsmann. The national team coach insists he still has plenty of wingers even without Karl.
“So, when it came to picking the youngster to bring along, we chose the one who impressed us most: Lenny.” We always have to assess what’s happening at the club and with us,” Nagelsmann explained. “Unlike other young players, Ouedraogo was immediately reliable and is highly regarded within the squad.” According to the coach, Ouedraogo is also “a really lovely person with great ability.” At the very least, this can be interpreted as a subtle, veiled dig at El Mala.
Another factor, he explained, was fitness: compared to El Mala, Ouedraogo is currently in far better physical shape. The Leipzig forward travelled to South Africa on a post-season marketing trip, while El Mala, with 1. FC Köln, left for holiday three weeks ago.
“That was also an important factor and one that shouldn’t be overlooked: El Mala hasn’t trained for two and a half weeks, just done a bit of running. I think his last match was on 16 May,” explained Nagelsmann. “Assan played as recently as 29 May in South Africa with Leipzig. He’s in top form and in his stride. A player who needs another week to catch up is no use to us.”