Antonio Rüdiger seems certain to start for Germany as the World Cup reaches crunch point, a scenario that looked unlikely a year ago amid a campaign for him to be dropped from the squad.
Nico Schlotterbeck's tournament-ending ankle injury has opened the door for Real Madrid's Rüdiger to partner Jonathan Tah in central defence, although coach Julian Nagelsmann may give squad players a run-out in the final group match with Ecuador on Thursday. Germany have already topped Group E.
"I have to be ready for all scenarios," Rüdiger said at the weekend in Toronto, where he had already replaced Schlotterbeck at half-time in the 2-1 win over Ivory Coast.
He even carried Schlotterbeck's son down the steps when the plane landed in North Carolina on the trip back to Germany's base after the game.
But Rüdiger has not always been seen as an angel.
He lost his starting place for Germany amid criticism from detractors who think he plays too aggressively. He was also punished in Spain with a six-game ban last year for throwing ice at a referee while playing for Madrid.
But Nagelsmann was happy with his defender's second-half showing against Ivory Coast, which helped send Germany to the men's World Cup knock-outs for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 2014.
"Antonio, I think, did well, very focused. It is not easy when you come into the game like that. To do it so well, I think that is great when you do not have that intense match rhythm from the last two or three weeks," the coach said.
Back in March, captain Joshua Kimmich also made a plea for Rüdiger to receive more respect.
"I sometimes have the feeling we in Germany forget what Toni has delivered over the last three or four years," Kimmich said, referring to Rüdiger winning the Champions League with Chelsea (2021) and Madrid (2024).
"We do not have many players like that, if we are completely honest."
