Serge Gnabry’s extended tour of duty with the German national team has come to an end following Thursday night’s 2-0 Nations League victory over Serbia.
The Bayern Munich attacker will not travel with Jürgen Klopp’s squad to Thessaloniki for Sunday’s return fixture against Greece. Gnabry can instead return to his club and continue working toward full fitness following the serious adductor injury that cost him the 2026 World Cup. The decision brings a productive international window to a close for the 31-year-old.
Klopp deliberately kept Gnabry around for both halves of his enormous two-squad experiment. When announcing his 44-player selection, the new Bundestrainer explained that Gnabry was one of several returning players he wished to keep for the full international period in order to help regain rhythm.
Gnabry arrived having barely featured for Bayern since returning to full team training in September.
He leaves having captained his country.
Thursday evening proved particularly meaningful for Gnabry. With Joshua Kimmich absent, the experienced attacker led Germany onto the pitch as captain for the first time in his senior international career.
“A wonderful experience,” Gnabry told ZDF afterward. “[It was] a day I’m very proud of.”
The Bayern veteran lasted only 45 minutes before Said El Mala replaced him at halftime, with Florian Wirtz taking over the armband. That substitution was not merely a tactical choice. Gnabry acknowledged afterward in the mixed zone that his long rehabilitation remains incomplete.
“I’m not at 100 percent yet,” Gnabry said. “This was now my fourth game. I played fewer minutes in the previous matches. But I have to get there through playing time. Every minute is important now.”
The circumstances help explain why Klopp brought Gnabry into camp despite Gnabry arriving in camp with almost no competitive rhythm. Before reporting for Germany duty, Gnabry had accumulated only 13 minutes following his lengthy absence.
This site’s assessment of Klopp’s first two fixtures noted that Gnabry received only 24 minutes across the matches against the Netherlands and Greece. Another 45 minutes against Serbia therefore represented a significant increase in workload.
Germany secured Klopp’s first victory as Bundestrainer. Gnabry captained his country for the first time. Most importantly from Bayern’s perspective, another substantial block of competitive minutes passed without an apparent physical setback.
The player himself stressed that victories can accelerate the rebuilding process as well.
“You take a win with you,” Gnabry told ZDF. “No matter what kind of process you’re in, it’s important to get wins. They always give you confidence for the games ahead.”
Gnabry arrived in camp needing minutes, rhythm and confidence.
He returns to Munich with all three — plus a first night as Germany captain.
