Eyebrows were raised last month when Robin Koch was omitted from the Germany squad. The Leeds United defender had previously been a part of Hansi Flick’s plans as the World Cup approaches, with his last call-up to the national team coming in March.
That recognition came towards the end of a difficult season for Koch, with 26-year-old being shifted around a team that was struggling to find traction in the Premier League. He was also fresh from missing four months of the campaign through injury when he received the phone call from Flick.
It seemed that, despite not being a regular starter for his country, Koch had a role within the national squad with the former Bayern Munich boss keeping faith in him despite his struggle for consistency domestically. This season Koch has arguably been one of Leeds’ strongest performers over the first eight games of the season.
