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TEENAGER Youssoufa Moukoko and fellow striker Niclas Füllkrug were on Thursday named as uncapped players into Germany’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The squad also includes recalled 2014 World Cup hero Mario Götze.
But there was no place for Marco Reus and Mats Hummels among the 26 players named by coach Hansi Flick for the Nov. 20 to Dec. 18 tournament.
Borussia Dortmund’s Moukoko, who turns 18 next week, and Füllkrug of Werder Bremen had been expected to get the call-up because Timo Werner and Lukas Nmecha are out injured.
Both have been in fine form lately with plenty of goals and are to give Germany more options upfront as the four-time champions aim to rebound from a group stage exit in 2018.
Götze scored the winner in the 2014 final against Argentina and now returns in the national team for the first time since 2017 after a strong season with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Other 2014 winners are goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer and his attacking Bayern Munich team-mate Thomas Müller who will both play their fourth World Cup.
Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich also provide influential midfielders Joshua Gimmich and Leon Goretzka, rising star Jamal Musiala, as well as forwards Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane.
Reus meanwhile misses a third big event over a recent injury and his Borussia Dortmund teammate Mats Hummels is also left behind because Flick prefers other players in central defence.
Germany will depart for a short training camp in Oman on Monday with a tune-up game against Oman on Wednesday before moving into their Qatar base camp the next day.
Their first World Cup game is on Nov. 23 against Japan, with Spain and Costa Rica the other opponents in the group stage.(dpa/NAN)
A.I
Tags: Jamal Musiala Niclas Füllkrug Serge Gnabry Youssoufa Moukoko
