Henning Matriciani of FC Schalke 04 is currently with the German U21 national team, but has not yet made an appearance. Tuesday he could make his debut.

Henning Matriciani’s football career reached a new peak the other day when he was invited to play for the German U21 national team. However, the 23-year-old FC Schalke 04 defender has not yet made his debut. He watched the 2:2 against Japan last Friday on the substitutes’ bench.

But ahead of Tuesday’s match against Romania (6pm), Matriciani can have hopes of making his debut. “I expect every player to be used,” U21 coach Antonio Di Salvo told a media panel the day before.

And of Matriciani, who still played for West-Regionalligisten SV Lippstadt until 2020 and already has 14 Bundesliga appearances for S04 this season, Di Salvo said: “Henning has earned the nomination. I’ve come to know him here as a very likeable and confident young man.”

Meanwhile, Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Luca Netz and goalkeeper Noah Atubolu have been guaranteed a call-up for the clash with Romania. Netz will replace Noah Katterbach from Hamburger SV in the starting eleven. “We have discussed this together. Both are on a par at the moment and I definitely want to see Luca,” said Di Salvo. On the eight position, he will also decide between Patrick Osterhage from VfL Bochum and Angelo Stiller (TSG Hoffenheim).

The match in Romania will be the last before the European Championship in June, where Germany will compete as defending champions. “Romania will demand everything of us, and my team must keep a cool head. We definitely can’t allow ourselves any lulls in the game,” Di Salvo said. (with SID)