It is undoubtedly not his playing time, very reduced, with PSG this season (13 games played for 523 minutes in the field, or about 40 minutes per game) that will have helped him. Still, Julian Draxler is back in the German national team.
Deprived of Mannschaft for a little over a year, and a call-up for a friendly match (in which he had worn the captain’s armband) and two Nations League matches in October 2020, the 28-year-old PSG midfielder was recalled this Friday by coach Hans-Dieter Flick, who made up an enlarged group of 27 players for the last two qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup, on November 11 against Liechtenstein and on November 14 against Armenia .
Games, all in all, anecdotal: Germany, which has won 7 of its first 8 matches in Group J, is with Qatar and Denmark one of the only three teams already qualified for the next World Cup. .
Even so, it’s a nice breath of fresh air for the Parisian, who therefore finds the selection after a year of absence. Last summer, he was not called up for the Euro after missing part of the qualifications, due to injuries in particular. In addition to the recall of Draxler, Hansi Flick also summoned another Parisian, Thilo Kehrer, author of good performances in recent months in the Mannschaft jersey, but also the former Parisian Kevin Trapp, a regular in the group despite the fierce competition at this post in selection from Germany.
Note also the first call-up of the young and promising Lukas Nmecha, 22, from Wolfsburg, who crossed the road of Losc this season in the Champions League and who had particularly distinguished himself in March and then last June during the Euro hopes won by the Germans.
