Gattuso courting U21 star? What the DFB coach says

Speculations about the future national team of talented striker Nicolò Tresoldi are calmly followed by U21 selection coach Antonio Di Salvo. "We want players who are fully committed to going down the path with the DFB," said Di Salvo. "Nicolò's situation has not changed for me now. If he is asked whether he would be happy if (Gennaro) Gattuso called, then that's how it is. Just like he's happy when Julian (Nagelsmann) or I call him."

"Chatting" with Gattuso?

The recently prolific U21 striker Tresoldi, who moved from Hannover 96 to Champions League club FC Brugge before the season, recently opened up on the subject on Sky Sports Italia. When asked whether he could imagine playing for Italy and national team coach Gattuso, he said: "If he wants to have a chat with me, my phone is switched on, I'd be delighted. But at the moment I'm playing for Germany. I've decided to do it, even if it's only the U21s. I feel very comfortable. We'll see about the future."

Tresoldi is a permanent fixture for the U21s, scoring three times in the 5-0 win over Latvia at the start of the European Championship qualifiers in September. The Italian-born attacker, whose father Emanuele Tresoldi was also a professional footballer in his native Italy, could also feature for the Squadra Azzurra due to his roots.

Di Salvo: Tresoldi feels extremely comfortable

"At the moment, he's playing for Germany and he feels extremely comfortable with the U21s too. He also told me that in a conversation about 10 to 14 days ago," revealed Di Salvo.

Di Salvo will have to reschedule for the European Championship qualifiers against Greece in Jena on Friday (18:00/ProSieben Maxx) next week and against Northern Ireland in Belfast four days later. Linus Gechter (Hertha BSC) and Aljoscha Kemlein (Union Berlin) are missing through injury. Nnamdi Collins (Eintracht Frankfurt), who was called up by national coach Nagelsmann in September, is ill and is not expected to join the team until later in the week. Elias Baum (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Kofi Amoako (Dynamo Dresden) have been called up.