RB Captain Raum Not Selected by Klopp

RB Leipzig captain David Raum has not been named to the squad by national team coach Jürgen Klopp for the final international matches of the year. The left back was left off the 24-man DFB roster for next Friday’s match in Serbia and the game against the Netherlands three days later. Instead, Stuttgart’s Maximilian Mittelstädt and Bayern’s Nathaniel Brown made the squad. 

“Maxi Mittelstädt did a great job in the first training camp. He approaches the position differently than Nathaniel Brown,” Klopp said on DFB-TV. In his place, Leipzig attacking midfielder Brajan Gruda—who had to withdraw due to injury in September after being named to the squad—has been called up. 

Just as on the left side of the defense, “we also have different player profiles on the right side,” Klopp said, explaining: “Someone who can play that position very well is Finn Jeltsch.” He made an incredibly good impression at training camp: “Very dynamic, a smart guy.” Philipp Treu is also a lock for that spot right now. This is how Klopp describes his personnel decisions regarding different build-up formations. 

He noted the competition between the two RB candidates on the right side. “Of course, we also saw both Leipzig players, Ridle Baku and Benjamin Henrichs. Benny Henrichs is coming back and really looks good again. Ridle Baku scored a great goal last night; Leipzig played a good game overall,” praised the former Head of Global Soccer at Red Bull.