Julian Nagelsmann, the head coach of the German national team, confirmed his full support for goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, the Barcelona star and team captain, ahead of the anticipated match against Portugal in the semifinals of the UEFA Nations League.

Nagelsmann said: "Marc-André ter Stegen will be Germany's number 1 goalkeeper, and I am confident that he will deliver two great matches during the upcoming international break. He is training well, despite his limited appearances in recent matches."

Regarding his situation after returning from injury, he added: "I spoke with Hansi Flick about Ter Stegen's condition after recovering from his knee injury, but the discussion was not about Barcelona's plans in the transfer market. I read that he is among the potential candidates for sale, but that is not my concern."

As for the future of star Florian Wirtz, Nagelsmann commented: "I have not asked any player to move to a specific team; the most important thing is that he participates regularly and has the same importance he had at Leverkusen. We know he is one of the best players in the world."

The coach of Germany concluded his statements by saying: "Our goal is to win both matches and to be crowned the UEFA Nations League champions. We want to deliver a strong performance and achieve positive results. Even if it is a small title, it is very important for us as a group. Spain proved the importance of this tournament by winning it before Euro 2020. When I look at the faces of the players, I see excitement, and I look forward to the atmosphere of the match."

The German national team will face their Portuguese counterpart next Wednesday at 10 PM Cairo and Mecca time, at the Allianz Arena, as part of the semifinals of the UEFA Nations League.