Barcelona revival earns Karim Adeyemi surprise Germany promotion

Karim Adeyemi has been called into Germany’s first team for the opening two matches of the international break after an unexpected late decision by manager Jurgen Klopp, according to Sport.

The Barcelona winger had initially been selected for the second group of players in Klopp’s expanded squad, but has now been brought forward after an injury to Bayern Munich’s highly rated attacking midfielder Lennart Karl.

Adeyemi travelled urgently to join the Germany camp and is expected to be available for the opening fixtures, marking a significant change in his international status after a difficult spell at Borussia Dortmund and his shock omission from Germany’s 2026 World Cup squad.

From reserve group to first-team plans

Adeyemi’s revival has followed an impressive start to the season with his new club, Barcelona. That form contrasts with his final campaign at Borussia Dortmund, where his performances declined and ultimately contributed to his exclusion from Germany’s World Cup selection.

The omission surprised many observers, but Germany’s failure to meet expectations at the tournament led to Julian Nagelsmann’s resignation. Klopp was then appointed to oversee the rebuilding of the national side.

For his first squad, the former Liverpool manager named an unusually large group of 44 players. The squad was divided into two sections, with the first group scheduled to play the opening two matches and the second group due to take part in the following two games during the extended international window.

Adeyemi was originally placed in the second group, which was due to play the third and fourth matches. His promotion to the first group, however, underlined the impact of his performances for Barcelona and his renewed importance to Klopp’s plans.

The change was prompted by a muscular injury to Karl. As a precaution, Germany’s coaching staff moved the Bayern Munich player from the first group into the second, allowing him additional time to recover before joining the squad later in the break.

Adeyemi was called up in his place and quickly made the journey to Germany, ensuring he would be present from the first day of training and ready for the opening fixtures.

Tough test against Netherlands

Adeyemi’s return to the Germany set-up will begin with two demanding matches. Germany travel to face Netherlands on Thursday in their opening Nations League fixture before hosting Greece on Sunday at the same time.

The Barcelona forward will be part of the squad for both games. His involvement in the next two matches, against Serbia at home and Greece, remains uncertain, despite those fixtures originally being the ones he was expected to play.

His move into Germany’s first group is nevertheless a clear indication of how strongly Klopp now views him. Despite the size of the squad, the former Liverpool manager appears to regard Adeyemi as an important part of the new Germany project, with the player’s resurgence closely linked to his strong start at Barcelona.