The German Football Association (DFB) is opposed to boycotting the 2022 World Cup but will get behind the national football team in pledging support for the rights of migrant workers in Qatar, the governing body’s president Fritz Keller said on Friday.

Germany lined up before kick-off in their opening World Cup qualifier against Iceland in Duisburg on Thursday wearing shirts displaying the message “human rights”.

Norway staged a similar protest on Wednesday ahead of their match in Gibraltar when their players wore T-shirts with the message: “Human rights, on and off the pitch”.

“Qatar has initiated several reforms, and there has been visible progress made — although there is still a long way to go — which a boycott could potentially undo,” he said in an interview published on the DFB’s official website.

“I would have hoped to push for concrete changes, and to have those implemented before awarding the World Cup to a country like Qatar, where there are several things that still need to change,” Keller added.

The DFB echoed the German government position earlier on Friday when a spokesman told reporters “the national team is a good part of Germany and therefore it is good when they commit to the values of our liberal democracy.”

In another development, defender Niklas Suele will not play a part in Germany’s upcoming qualifiers against Romania and North Macedonia after suffering a thigh injury (DFB) said on Saturday.

Suele was not in the squad that travelled to Bucharest where they take on Romania on Sunday, with the 25-year-old returning to his club Bayern Munich.

A replacement was not named for Suele, and head coach Joachim Loew will have only 22 players at his disposal.

Double blow

England will be without striker Marcus Rashford and winger Bukayo Saka for their World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Poland due to injury, the FA said on Friday.

Rashford was ruled out of Manchester United’s FA Cup defeat by Leicester City on Sunday with a foot problem and had missed England’s 5-0 victory over San Marino on Thursday after joining the national camp.