Deniz Undav's thrilling performance in Germany's 2-1 win against Ivory Coast on Saturday reignited the debate whether he should be in the starting line-up.
Undav came from the bench and scored twice in the comeback win as Germany exorcized the ghosts of 2018 and 2022 by making the men's World Cup knock-outs for first time since 2014.
"Now the question comes up: Will he ever start? That's definitely a possibility, but he's fulfilling his role incredibly well," coach Julian Nagelsmann told broadcaster ZDF.
"As a coach, you can consider all possibilities. You could say, 'let him stay in his groove, let him stay in that role, because he's been scoring.' It’s possible either way."
Former world champion Thomas Müller, who's working at pundit for broadcaster MagentaTV, said that Undav "has a right to make a case for himself. The coach isn't blind, after all."
Former Freiburg coach Christian Streich, however, said he would keep Leroy Sané in the starting line-up against Ecuador and "would talk to Deniz Undav."
"He's just an incredibly good football player who moves into the right spaces," Streich said on ZDF.
Undav himself doesn't want to get directly involved in the discussion.
"We have a common goal, and if it's working this well right now, as I said, it's thanks to the national team coach," said the VfB Stuttgart player.
"He makes the decisions, and I think it's just important for him, and also for the players coming off the bench and those who are playing, that they see that anyone who comes in can make an impact and change the game."
