Fans frustrated as 29-year-old star is not named in Germany line-up to face Costa Rica in crucial FIFA World Cup game

Germany need to beat Costa Rica in their final FIFA World Cup group stage clash on Thursday, December 1, if they are to potentially secure qualification into the knockout stages. However, fans are not happy that manager Hansi Flick has chosen to leave Niclas Fullkrug out of the starting lineup in such a crucial game.

📋 Your #GER line-up to face #CRC

#FIFAWorldCup #CRCGER https://t.co/gF06duuWyT

The striker has exceeded expectations in the World Cup, securing a vital goal to secure a 1-1 draw against Spain in their previous clash. However, Flick has left the forward out of the starting lineup, and fans have taken to Twitter to slam the manager's decision.

Here are some of the best tweets:

@TheEuropeanLad Hansi Fick is such a terrorist why does he still start Phomas Püller who has ghosted every game so far?
Füllkrug is miles better than that finished bum

@TheEuropeanLad No Füllkrug no win Sadly

@TheEuropeanLad I think Füllkrug did enough in the last game to be starting this. Especially as it looks like Costa Rica will be playing a back 5. Other than that, I think this is the way to go with Musiala as a 10

@TheEuropeanLad No Fullkrug? Thought he would’ve started

@TheEuropeanLad Fullkrug ????

@TheEuropeanLad Füllkrug robbed again

@TheEuropeanLad no fullkrug adv costa rice

@TheEuropeanLad Why not fullkrug for Muller? Muller is a spent force

Love Muller but man, how on earth does he start ahead of Fullkrug? twitter.com/iMiaSanMia/sta…

what more does fullkrug need to do to start over this finished fraud

Germany sit on the brink of elimination from the FIFA World Cup, but Hansi Flick remains hopeful

It has not been an easy period in Qatar for Die Mannschaft, who have not won a match and currently sit at the bottom of Group E. Defeat against Costa Rica will surely spell an exit for Germany, but a win might secure them the qualification that Hansi Flick desperately wants to achieve.

Speaking at the game, the tactician noted that he had not considered Germany's early elimination, stating (via The Daily Mail):

"I'm normally an optimist, I’m not considering anything like that for now. Maybe you can ask me the same question after the match. I hope you will not be forced to ask it."

The Germans are widely seen as a European powerhouse, but their return of two games without a win does not bode well for their FIFA World Cup run. Even snatching all three points against Costa Rica is no guarantee that they will enter the knockout stages if Japan secure a win over Spain.

Flick noted that the side had put themselves in a problematic situation, but pushed for them to put in their best efforts:

"This is our own fault. We are in this situation and now we need to do what we can. We will give it 100 per cent. We need to perform and deliver."

This is not the first time Die Mannschaft are getting eliminated from an important tournament early on, as they were kicked out in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. They also suffered a group-stage exit in the 2018 edition of the FIFA World Cup in Russia. They won the 2014 edition, but have failed to reach similar heights since then.