Ilkay Gundogan believes teammate Joshua Kimmich will change his stance on vaccine

"He deliberately did not rule that out for the future."

Ilkay Gundogan believes that Germany teammate Joshua Kimmich will change his mind and eventually get vaccinated against Covid-19. In October, Kimmich revealed that he had not been vaccinated against the virus due to concerns regarding a lack of long-term studies. The Bayern Munich midfielder stated that taking the vaccine should be an individual decision, adding that he is continuing to follow the relevant hygiene measures. However, Gundogan believes that Kimmich will eventually have the vaccine, suggesting that he 'deliberately' didn't rule it out as an option. "I believe that the time will come when Jo [Kimmich] will be vaccinated. He deliberately did not rule that out for the future," said the Manchester City midfielder, in an interview with the Editorial Network Germany. Gundogan - who was previously infected with coronavirus and has since been vaccinated - added: "Everyone has to look in the mirror and answer for themselves whether they have done everything to protect themselves and their loved ones as best as possible. "Because there is no compulsory vaccination, everyone has the choice." The 31-year-old also insisted that he would not approach his teammates about the vaccine, stating that people who chose not to get vaccinated 'have the right to do so'. "I remember that after my illness I talked to some of the other players and told them about my own personal experiences," said the former Borussia Dortmund man

"I am a very tolerant person, respect other opinions and therefore don't want to judge.

"The fact is that there are still a lot of people in society who are not vaccinated and have the right to do so."

He added: "Why should this be done differently in football? Footballers are part of society." The City midfielder was on target as Germany annihilated Liechtenstein 9-0 on Thursday, with Hansi Flick's side registering 42 shots in the one-sided tie. Related links:

• Joshua Kimmich told to get Covid vaccine as he is a ‘role model’
• Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich defends decision to not get vaccinated
• Ilkay Gundogan auctions off memorabilia to support struggling Manchester businesses