Leeds United centre-back Robin Koch is "still hoping" of earning a call-up for Germany's World Cup squad.

What's the talk?

In a recent interview with German media outlet SWR Sport (via Sport Witness), the 26-year-old - who has not featured in a Nationalelf squad since Euro 2020 - is still holding out hope that his performances for the Whites this season will see Hansi Flick select him in his 26-man squad for the World Cup this month.

Regarding his chances of making the cut for the final in Qatar, Koch said: "I'm still hoping. I'm sure I can give a lot of positivity to any team on and off the pitch, including the national team.

"I've mentioned many times that I can only step on the gas and put in strong performances at my club. That has worked out quite well so far this season. Everything else is in the hands of the national coach."

Serious danger

Koch has not exactly been in disastrous form for Leeds so far this season, but whether or not his performances are worthy of a call-up to Germany's World Cup squad is much more up for debate.

Indeed, across his 12 Premier League appearances in 2022/23, the £8m-rated centre-back has been in mixed defensive form, helping his side to keep just two clean sheets, while making 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 3.3 clearances and winning 4.2 duels (at a success rate of 55%) per game.

In possession of the ball, the £46k-per-week defender has completed an average of 39.9 passes (at a success rate of 78%) played an average of 2.5 long balls (32% success rate) and has lost possession of the ball 11.8 times per match.

These returns have seen the 26-year-old - who Danny Mills claimed looked like a "fish out of water" against Manchester United last season - average a rather underwhelming SofaScore match rating of 6.68, currently ranking him as only Jesse Marsch's 13th-best performer in the top flight.

As such, unless Koch can convince Flick over Leeds' last two pre-World Cup games against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur that he is deserving of a place in the Germany squad prior to the announcements of the final selections on November 13, it would appear that his hopes of a seat on the plane to Doha are unfortunately in serious danger.