Baur given first Germany call as Klopp scours for new talent

Celtic midfielder Mika Baur has been called up to Germany's senior squad for the first time as new head coach Jurgen Klopp unveiled an unprecedented 44-man squad for upcoming Nations League matches. The 22-year-old, who has already played for his country at youth level up to under-21s and joined the Scottish champions from Paderborn this summer, is one of 16 players to be handed their first call-ups by the former Liverpool manager. Teams are restricted to naming 20 outfield players and three goalkeepers for each match, but Klopp has split the group into two separate squads for their four upcoming fixtures. The first group will be available for the games fixtures against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on 24 September and at home to Greece three days later in Augsburg. The second group, which includes Baur, will be available for Germany's matches against Serbia in Munich on 1 October and Greece in Thessaloniki on 4 October. "It's very unusual that you've got four games in two weeks with the national team," Klopp said. "I want to get to know as many players as possible in that time. It's not an A-team and a B-team, but the two squads have been created in a way that each fits well together." Klopp replaced Julian Nagelsmann in July after the four-time World Cup winners were eliminated at the last-32 stage of the 2026 World Cup, their third successive early exit from the tournament. "It really felt like you had the feeling after the World Cup that German football is on its knees and we have no talents, no footballers," Klopp said. "In the past four weeks, as we've been looking closely, plenty of talents have caught our eye. "It's a squad for two or three years from now, not just for the next four international games. "There's a couple of lads here who will surprise you, that's clear, but we saw something in the lads, plenty of potential, and we want to be part of their development."