Füllkrug strikes again but doesn't expect national team return

Niclas Füllkrug does not expect to be recalled into Germany's national team after starting the season strongly in his return to Bundesliga action.

Füllkrug scored in the fourth game in a row when he headed a stoppage-time 2-2 equalizer for Werder Bremen at his ex-club and league leaders Borussia Dortmund on Friday night.

Coach Daniel Thioune named the striker "a most important player" but Füllkrug does not think that the scoring run will bring him back into the national team he last played for in June 2025 - because new coach Jürgen Klopp has certain priorities.

"I don't really want to talk about it. I think that Jürgen Klopp has taken a different path, nominated different lads, that it is about the future for him," Füllkrug told Sky TV post-match.

Füllkrug is in his second term at Bremen who he left in 2023 for Dortmund where he played one year before moving on to West Ham United. But he never had a breakthrough in London, was on loan at AC Milan for the second part of the past season before another loan deal saw him return to Bremen.

Füllkrug's goal completed another remarkable Bremen comeback in Dortmund after the hosts thought they had won it from Daniel Svensson in the 80th and Nico Schlotterbeck in the 85th. 

But Dortmund dropped their first points of the season when Ludovic Reis in the 88th and Füllkrug in stoppage time earned a draw. A few years ago Bremen had won 3-2 in Dortmund from 2-0 down in the 89th.

"We only have ourselves to blame for that. We had plenty of chances in the second half," Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said. "Of course, we're disappointed. That's two points lost for us. Hopefully, we'll learn from those last eight minutes."

Dortmund's next match is on Wednesday in the Champions League at Norway's Bodø/Glimt. 

Dortmund could be dethroned at the top by champions Bayern Munich or Freiburg by the end of matchday five which runs until Sunday.