Joachim Loew must fix Germany's leaking defence for the last three games of 2020, yet experienced centre-backs Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng remain unwanted. Germany host Czech Republic in Leipzig on Wednesday in a friendly ahead of Saturday's home Nations League match against Ukraine, then Spain away next Tuesday. Switzerland held Germany to a 3-3 draw in Cologne in mid-October, six days after Turkey also put three past Loew's side in a 3-3 draw in a friendly. In all, Germany have conceded nine goals in five games. Rather than recall Boateng and Hummels, Loew said on Tuesday that Chelsea's Antonio Ruediger and Robin Koch, who also plays in the Premier League for Leeds, would form the central defensive partnership against the Czechs.

Bayern teammate Niklas Suele—Loew's normal defensive cornerstone—is out after testing positive for COVID-19. Loew admits Germany have defensive problems, but he wants to put a sporting exclamation mark at the end of this difficult year with three wins. In order to do that, he needs to settle on a defensive formation.

Too many changes

Loew, 60, used a three-man defence in the first five games of 2020, when Germany leaked six goals. He switched to a back-four against the Swiss without success, leaving Germany second in their Nations League group, a point behind Spain. According to 1990 World Cup winner Lothar Matthaeus, Loew needs to stop experimenting and use players who can take the game by the scruff of the neck. Two years on from their disastrous 2018 World Cup campaign, when they failed to qualify from the group stages, Germany have yet to put in a convincing display over 90 minutes this year. As former national captain Bastian Schweinsteiger put it, Germany have conceded just too many goals.