Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann will keep changes to his starting lineup to a minimum for his side's final World Cup group-stage game against Ecuador.
With Germany already certain to finish top of Group E heading into the match, there had been speculation that Nagelsmann could opt for heavy rotation.
However, the 38-year-old announced at his pre-match press conference that he has decided to stick with most of the starting lineup from Germany's first two games in order to maintain rhythm.
"It's the most legitimate question of all to ask whether we should make changes or not. The coaching staff spent a lot of time discussing it and talking to the players," Nagelsmann said.
"But in the weeks leading up to the World Cup, the key issue was that this team needed time to develop chemistry because they hadn't played many matches together. Players like Jamal Musiala, Felix Nmecha, and Kai Havertz had been away for up to a year and hadn't had many games."
Despite reports suggesting otherwise, this means Deniz Undav will once again start on the bench despite scoring three goals in two appearances as a substitute.
Nagelsmann is planning just two changes, with Antonio Rüdiger and David Raum coming in for Nico Schlotterbeck, who has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament, and Nathaniel Brown, who misses out as a precaution due to adductor discomfort.
"We still have one match that we want to win, and we also want to use it to prepare for the knockout stage – with everything that involves. That applies to the players who start, but also to players like Deniz, who has been outstanding in his role as an impact substitute," said Nagelsmann.
"We have a plan. We've explained it to Deniz and to the other players. We don't make our decisions on a whim – we make them because we believe they're the right ones. That's why we'll make the changes that we feel are necessary."
