Things could be looking up for Nick Woltemade.
The Newcastle United star hasn’t played yet in this 2026 World Cup tournament but that is predicted to change now.
Germany have already progressed to the last 32 and guaranteed to top their group.
So Thursday’s final group match against Ecuador is a free hit, a chance for Julian Nagelsmann to try out other players and potentially formation/tactics, as well as resting certain players.
The media in Germany predicting Nick Woltemade to start tomorrow and reunite with a former Stuttgart teammate.
Deniz Undav came off the bench in the opening match against Curacao, scored a goal and got two assists. When trailing 1-0 to Ivory Coast he came off the bench and scored twice in a 2-1 turnaround.
Julian Nagelsmann predicted to reunite the two forwards and hopefully recreate their success at Stuttgart in the 2024/25 season. Stuttgart won the Cup in Germany and finished ninth in the Bundesliga, that 2024/25 success was massively down to three forwards who scored 46 goals between them across all competitions. Bosnia and Herzegovina striker Ermedin Demirovic scored 17 goals in 47 appearances, Nick Woltemade with 15 goals in 29 appearances, 14 goals in 38 appearances for Deniz Undav.
Can Undav and Woltemade do the same for Germany at this World Cup if called upon?
Malick Thiaw will also hope to be involved against Ecuador, he has to watch from the bench but could get his chance as well as Woltemade. With Schlotterbeck having been ruled out of the tournament due to injury now, Nagelsmann has even more reason to give minutes to his other central defenders to help get them up to speed if called upon in the knockout stages.
The 2026 World Cup group games schedule for Newcastle United players:
Saturday 13 June
Morocco 1 Brazil 1 (Bruno Guimaraes assist for Vinicius Jnr equaliser)
Sunday 14 June
Curacao 1 Germany 7 (Malick Thiaw and Nick Woltemade unused subs)
Monday 15 June
Tunisia 1 Sweden 5 (Anthony Elanga introduced in the 91st minute when Sweden led 4-1)
Wednesday 17 June
Portugal 1 DR Congo 1 (Yoane Wissa with a brilliant headed goal to equalise just before the break)
Croatia 2 England 4 (Dan Burn an unused sub as England entertain!)
Saturday 20 June
Haiti 3 Brazil 0 (Bruno Guimaraes stars in comfortable win)
Ivory Coast 1 Germany 2 (Malick Thiaw and Nick Woltemade were unused subs)
Netherlands 5 Sweden 1 (Anthony Elanga brought on at 4-0 down and scored a cracking goal)
Tuesday 23 June
Ghana 0 England 0 (Dan Burn an unused sub in this bore draw for England)
Wednesday 24 June
Colombia 1 DR Congo 0 (Yoane Wissa played the full match as Colombia won with a 76th minute goal)
Scotland v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) World Cup group match 11pm BBC
Thursday 25 June
Ecuador v Germany (Malick Thiaw, Nick Woltemade) World Cup group match 9pm BBC
Friday 26 June
Japan v Sweden (Anthony Elanga) World Cup group match 12am BBC
Saturday 27 June
Panama v England (Dan Burn) World Cup group match 10pm ITV
Sunday 28 June
Uzbekistan v DR Congo (Yoane Wissa) World Cup group match 12.30am BBC