“That’s just nonsense!” Jürgen Klopp loses his cool over Joshua Kimmich and Wael Mohya

Tom Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlovic impressed for the national team in Joshua Kimmich's absence, prompting a media debate about the DFB captain's place in the side. At a press conference on Thursday, Jürgen Klopp spent several minutes making his view clear. He also drew a comparison with first-time call-up Wael Mohya.

With his starting XI for Friday's Nations League group match in Belgrade already decided, barring anything extraordinary, Klopp turned to Bayern Munich's Kimmich. The DFB captain had left the previous international break after the first two matches, as planned, much to his personal displeasure. His Munich team-mates Tom Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlovic then played alongside Florian Wirtz in midfield in the two remaining games. In both matches, they performed so convincingly that debate followed over whether the national team could do without Kimmich. Klopp said he "didn't understand" that "even then".

"It's not so easy to be pleased about the performances of two young players (Pavlovic and Bischof; editor's note), quite rightly, because they simply did well, only for the story then to become: 'What does that mean for …?'" Klopp explained, stressing: "Nothing! Because Jo Kimmich is a superb player. It means nothing!" He later pointed out that BVB's Felix Nmecha had not played in those matches either. The midfielder is also in the current squad and, despite the controversy surrounding his goal celebration, can hope for playing time.

Turning to the current national team, Klopp praised the squad before briefly interrupting himself to discuss Mohya. As the DFB announced on Thursday morning, the Borussia Mönchengladbach newcomer will not be in the squad against Serbia. Klopp objected to making a headline out of that. "I haven't 'cut' him from the squad. That completely misses the point; it's simply nonsense," he said. "We discussed it beforehand: if nothing happens, he won't be in the squad. We want to see him."

For the final group matches against Serbia and the Netherlands in Berlin on Monday, Klopp named a 24-man squad. The DFB team are fighting for a place in the Nations League quarter-finals, but the regulations allow him to name only 23 players in the matchday squad. The national coach had already explained that he would reserve the 24th squad place for up-and-coming "lads" he could get to know in training. This time, that player is Mohya, an exceptional talent aged just 17. He has been preparing for the Serbia match with the national team at their base in Herzogenaurach since Monday and would still be eligible to play for Morocco.

Asked about the meagre results from the first four matches, just one win and three goals scored, Klopp said the media's opinion "fortunately doesn't really interest me. Because you have to report on it and I have to develop. I have to take and give myself the time. Whether that suits you or not. I can't influence that. I don't want to deliberately disappoint anyone."

Klopp acknowledged, however, that he could not demand people look away and ignore results "until we're ready. Part of football is that people form opinions. But we feel we're on the right path. We've only just started, and of course that path is still a long way from its end. The foundations are really good."

More talents, "whom we already know", are waiting in the wings. So "everything is fine for the moment".