By Amy Tennery
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, June 24 (Reuters) - Germany's "bogeyman" Antonio Ruediger will be ready for more playing time as coach Julian Nagelsmann plans a few tweaks to the starting lineup when the team go for three wins in their final World Cup Group E match against Ecuador on Thursday.
Germany have already qualified, but will face a test of their defence at New York New Jersey Stadium with Ecuador desperate to salvage their winless campaign and centre back Nico Schlotterbeck out
of the tournament with an ankle injury.
Real Madrid's bruiser Ruediger could do the trick, after stepping in for the injured Schlotterbeck during their 2-1 win over Ivory Coast last week and with his knee no longer in pain after undergoing surgery a year ago.
"His knee doesn't bother him right now, he feels very good and I think he did a great job when he came into the match last time and he will do the same tomorrow," said Nagelsmann, via an interpreter. "We hope that Antonio is being rewarded with more match time."
The four-times champions have made amends at the tournament this year, after failing to get past the group stage in the previous two editions. Nagelsmann said he was not planning to tinker too much with the starting 11.
That means fans will likely see super-sub Deniz Undav on the bench again on Thursday, a role the Stuttgart forward said he was happy to fill after scoring two goals in their 2-1 comeback win against Ivory Coast on Saturday.
"If it weren't okay (starting on the bench) I wouldn't be here at this press conference. I will try to give my best input whether I'm in the starting lineup or later," he told reporters.
"I joined from the bench twice and we won the game and I'm very happy about that... the most important thing is we win the match."
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in East Rutherford, New JerseyEditing by Christian Radnedge)
