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Galatasaray Istanbul midfielder Ilkay Gündogan has come forward in support of his teammate Leroy Sané, who has been under heavy scrutiny ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

Amid the ongoing public debate about Sané’s inclusion in the national squad—particularly after Lennart Karl’s injury and Sané’s goal in the friendly against the USA that boosted his chances of a starting role in the German national team—the DFB captain told *kicker* that Sané’s selection by coach Julian Nagelsmann was “fully justified”.

“Leroy’s season was quite similar to mine: full of ups and downs. What’s important is that he started well and finished even stronger, repeatedly managing to bounce back from difficult phases. I know how much effort he puts in; he definitely deserves his place here,” said Gündogan.

However, the midfielder also pointed out what he sees as Sané’s “only issue”: “At times, he shows his frustration a bit too openly when things don’t go perfectly in a match.” Gündogan quickly clarified that this is “actually a positive thing”. “It shows how much he cares and that his frustration is mostly directed at himself,” he added.

Sané’s inclusion in the World Cup squad has sparked mixed reactions among German fans and analysts. As Gündogan mentioned, the 30-year-old had a somewhat inconsistent season with Galatasaray Istanbul, scoring 16 goals in 43 competitive fixtures. Despite those numbers, his goal contribution in the relatively less competitive Süper Lig did not fully meet Nagelsmann’s expectations, and he even lost his starting place at one stage of the season.

DFB squad: Sané tipped to start against Curaçao

Looking at the stats, Sané’s claim of having “finished the season strongly” appears only partially accurate. After receiving a red card in the Istanbul derby on matchday 25, he managed just two goal contributions in seven appearances as Galatasaray clinched the league title, though he did complete most matches in full. The former Bayern Munich and Schalke winger later impressed as a substitute in the March friendly against Ghana, providing the assist for Deniz Undav’s decisive 2-1 goal.

In the friendly against the USA on Saturday, Sané followed up a below-average first half by scoring the winner. With Karl now sidelined, Sané is expected to start on the right flank against Curaçao on Sunday. Should Nagelsmann decide to field a traditional right-winger, VfB Stuttgart’s Jamie Leweling could also be an option, while Karl’s replacement, Assan Ouedraogo, is more comfortable in central midfield. Alternatively, Kai Havertz—who is certain to start—could move to the right, creating room in the attack for either Deniz Undav or Nick Woltemade.

Leroy Sané: Key performance data and statistics for the German national team