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| Havertz has been heavily-criticised for his showing in Arsenal’s colours following his recent move to the North London side |
Havertz has been heavily-criticised for his showing in Arsenal’s colours following his recent move to the North London side.
Hansi Flick on Thursday left regulars Timo Werner and Leon
Goretzka but included Arsenal’s Kai Havertz out of the Germany squad for
September’s friendlies, while Brighton’s Pascal Gross received his first
call-up.
Nine months before Germany hosts Euro 2024, coach Flick
decided against bringing back veteran Thomas Mueller, while captain Manuel
Neuer continues his recovery from a broken leg.
Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich will likely captain the side
in Neuer’s absence.
Gross, 32, received his first Germany call-up, having played
for Premier League side Brighton since 2017.
Flick brought back Borussia Dortmund Niklas Suele in
defence, while including Bayern midfielder Jamal Musiala, who is currently
recovering from a thigh injury.
“Everyone has to now forget their ego and serve the team,”
Flick told reporters on Thursday.
He said he was looking for players “who energise the team”,
saying: “The team is the star, not the individual.”
Germany have qualified for the Euros as hosts, but Flick has
continued to chop and change his squad.
After suffering an embarrassing group-stage exit at the
Qatar World Cup in 2022, Germany have stumbled this year, winning just one of
five matches.
Germany have lost three of those games, to Belgium, Poland
and Colombia, alongside a draw with Ukraine and a solitary win over Peru.
Germany will take on Japan in Wolfsburg on September 9,
before meeting World Cup runners-up France in Dortmund on September 12.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona/ESP), Kevin
Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt), Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim)
Defenders: Robin Gosens (Union Berlin), Benjamin Henrichs
(RB Leipzig), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Antonio Ruediger (Real
Madrid/ESP), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Niklas Suele (Borussia
Dortmund), Malick Thiaw (AC Milan/ITA), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Ilkay
Gundogan (Barcelona/ESP), Kai Havertz (Arsenal/ENG), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich),
Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Emre Can
(Borussia Dortmund), Pascal Gross (Brighton/ENG)
Forwards: Niclas Fuellkrug (Werder Bremen), Leroy Sane
(Bayern Munich), Kevin Schade (Brentford/ENG), Jonas Hofmann (Bayer Leverkusen),
Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich)
Coach: Hansi Flick
AFP