Germany vs Ivory Coast lineups: Confirmed team news, predicted XIs, injury latest for World Cup | OneFootball

Group E rivals clash in Toronto after both winning their opening games - in contrasting fashion

Ivory Coast boss Emerse Fae has a decision to make on Elye Wahi ahead of Saturday’s World Cup showdown with Germany in Toronto.

The striker started and played just under an hour in last weekend’s 1-0 opening win over Ecuador in Group E, hitting the woodwork early in the second half.

However, Wahi is subject to an investigation into alleged spot-fixing following a Ligue 1 match for Nice against Metz on May 17, for which the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) said an “unusual amount of bets” were placed on him receiving a yellow card.

However, it remains to be seen if Wahi will start against Germany, with Evann Guessand, Ange-Yoan Bonny and Oumar Diakite all options to replace him and join the attack alongside the likes of Nicolas Pepe, Yan Diomande and Bazoumana Toure.

Manchester United’s Amad Diallo will be pushing to feature from the off after surprisingly being named on the bench against Ecuador, before coming on and netting a brilliant 90th-minute winner in Philadelphia.

Elye Wahi was able to enter Canada with his Ivory Coast team-mates ahead of the World Cup clash with Germany

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The rest of the changes should be kept to a minimum after a tense and tight opening victory in which they kept a clean sheet, with a back four of Guela Doue, Wilfried Singo, Emmanuel Agbadou and Ghislain Konan in front of goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.

Captain Franck Kessie and Seko Fofana should remain as the central midfield pairing, with Liverpool transfer target Diomande occupying one of the wings after shining against Ecuador.

As for Germany, head coach Julian Nagelsmann is not believed to have any new injury concerns after his side demolished World Cup debutants Curacao 7-1 in their Group E opener in Houston.

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz notched a brace in that game, while Deniz Undav stated his starting case with two goals and as many assists off the bench.

Felix Nmecha, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala and Nathaniel Brown were also on target in a game that was 1-1 after 37 minutes.

Reports in Germany suggest that Nagelsmann has been rehearsing a number of different formations in training this week ahead of facing Ivory Coast, primarily concerned with combatting their pace down the flanks.

However, it is expected that the personnel will remain largely the same, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer passed fit to make his international return against Curacao following a calf injury.

The versatile Joshua Kimmich is a regular at right-back for Germany, with Brown on the left and Schlotterbeck joined in central defence by Jonathan Tah.

Felix Nmecha and Aleksandar Pavlovic formed the midfield pivot last time out, behind an electric and interchangeable front four of Leroy Sane, Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Havertz.

Nagelsmann has plenty of options if he does wish to make changes, including the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Leon Goretzka, Undav and Nick Woltemade.

Germany saw Bayern Munich’s teenage sensation Lennart Karl ruled out ahead of the tournament with a thigh injury, with Assan Ouedraogo called up as his replacement.

Predicted Germany XI: Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Nmecha, Pavlovic; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz