Hansi Flick has nominated five debutants for the restart of the national soccer team after the World Cup debacle. The national coach called up Josha Vagnoman, Marius Wolf, Mergim Berisha, Kevin Schade and Felix Nmecha for the international matches against Peru (March 25/Mainz) and Belgium (March 28/Cologne) in his 24-man squad. Florian Wirtz returns to the DFB squad after tearing his cruciate ligament, and Emre Can is back after a long break.
“It’s our job to look for alternatives and broaden the squad. New influences are important for a team to live and develop,” said Flick. The 58-year-old is doing without a few prominent names 15 months before the European Championships at home. Thomas Müller will be back in September at the earliest. Ilkay Gündogan, Leroy Sane, Niklas Süle and Antonio Rüdiger are also not in the squad against Peru and Belgium. Captain Manuel Neuer is injured. Only 15 players are left from the 26-man squad for the World Cup. “I spoke to everyone individually. Everyone we left out has enormous quality and is good for us,” said Flick.
The German contingent
Goal: Marc-Andre ter Stegen (FC Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt), Bernd Leno (FC Fulham)
Defense: Armel Bella Kotchap (FC Southampton), Matthias Ginter (SC Freiburg), Christian Günter (SC Freiburg), Thilo Kehrer (West Ham United), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Josha Vagnoman (VfB Stuttgart), Marius Wolf (Borussia Dortmund)
Midfield/Attack: Mergim Berisha (FC Augsburg), Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund), Niclas Füllkrug (Werder Bremen), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Mario Götze (Eintracht Frankfurt), Kai Havertz (FC Chelsea), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (VfL Wolfsburg), Kevin Schade (FC Brentford), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
