Klopp defends Wirtz and explains why he will start on the bench against Greece | OneFootball

Germany coach Jürgen Klopp has come to the defence of Florian Wirtz following criticism of the 23-year-old’s performances for Liverpool.

“His footballing ability is beyond any doubt. He is on a good path, but people are never satisfied with how quickly things happen,” Klopp said at a press conference on Saturday, one day before Germany face Greece in the UEFA Nations League.

Wirtz was initially included in the second of Klopp’s two squads but has linked up with the national team earlier than planned due to injuries suffered by Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz.

As Klopp confirmed, Wirtz will not go straight into the starting lineup for the upcoming match against Greece.

“That would certainly be the worst thing we could do right now,” he said.

Instead, the Germany coach wants to ease the Liverpool midfielder into the team “with sufficient training time.”

The 59-year-old wants to do all he can to help Wirtz become a key player for Germany in the years to come.

“We have to make sure that Flo feels comfortable with us and can fit into what we want from him. With us, hopefully, he can simply be Flo,” Klopp said of his plans for the former Bayer Leverkusen player.