DFB international matches
Flick nominates three returnees and one newcomer
Mainz’s Anton Stach
© Ulrich Hufnagel/ / Picture Alliance
Hansi Flick has named the first squad for the World Cup year. For the friendlies against Israel and the Netherlands he has to improvise because several regular players are missing. That’s why he nominated three professionals who were there before – and one new one.
The start of the World Cup year is not an easy task for national coach Hansi Flick. He has to do without some tried and tested regulars like Niklas Süle (injured) or Leon Goretzka, Marco Reus or Robin Gosens (fitness deficits). On Friday, Flick nominated surprise candidate Anton Stach as well as Julian Weigl, Benjamin Henrichs and Robin Koch for the national football team after breaks of several years.
“If we want to be successful in Qatar, the prerequisite is that all players are in top shape, that’s the focus we set,” said Flick on Friday. “Basically, we want to get used to it, get the automatisms in,” said the 57-year-old. But he also wants to “find a mix of trying out and playing in,” emphasized Flick before the test international games on March 26 in Sinsheim against Israel and three days later against the Netherlands in Amsterdam. He expects his players to “develop in the coming months.”
There are no BVB players
Still not in Flick’s squad is BVB defender Mats Hummels, who recently fell ill with Corona, with whom the national coach discussed the situation again in a telephone call. Since Reus, Julian Brandt, Mahmoud Dahoud and Emre Can were not considered either, no Borussia Dortmund player is included in the DFB selection this time. The bulk of the 26-man squad consists of six players from FC Bayern Munich around captain Manuel Neuer and the Chelsea trio Kai Havertz, Antonio Rüdiger and Timo Werner.
Niklas Süle is missing because of a torn muscle fiber, Florian Wirtz suffered a cruciate ligament rupture on Sunday and even threatens to miss the World Cup in late autumn. The ailing striker Karim Adeyemi from Red Bull Salzburg may not be available for the start of the year, as Flick reported on Friday. The Freiburg central defender Nico Schlotterbeck, who has recently been nominated several times, was guaranteed a debut. “He will definitely play his first game, that’s in the planning stage,” said Flick.
Anton Stach under close observation
The national coach described the appointment of U21 European champion Stach as a “surprise for everyone”. “We want to see what potential he offers us,” said Flick of the midfielder. The returnees Weigl (last international match 2017), Henrichs (2020) and Koch (2021) have recently convinced at their clubs Benfica Lisbon, RB Leipzig and Leeds United and, like Julian Draxler from Paris Saint-Germain, are allowed to audition for their World Cup chance at Flick .