New Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann named Mats Hummels and Thomas Mueller, World Cup winners in 2014, in his first squad for a tour of the United States in October.
Nagelsmann recalled Hummels, the central defender who last played for Germany in 2021, alongside Bayern Munich’s Mueller, who returned to the squad in September under previous coach Hansi Flick as cover for midfielder Jamal Musiala, who was injured.
Union Berlin striker Kevin Behrens is called into the national squad for the first time in his career at the age of 32, alongside other first-timers Chris Fuehrich of Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich.
Nagelsmann though left out Hummels’ Dortmund teammate, midfielder Emre Can, who had become a regular under Flick, and Dortmund central defender Nico Schlotterbeck.
Nagelsmann, who was appointed in September after Flick became the first coach in German history to be sacked, recalled Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka to the squad.
Two first-team regulars, Goretzka’s Bayern teammate Serge Gnabry and RB Leipzig defender Benjamin Henrichs, are ruled out through injury.
Germany, still smarting from their elimination at the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, are preparing to host the European Championship next year.
“We are a new coaching team and want to see as many players as possible in the national team,” said Nagelsmann in statement.
The goal is “that we get used to each other as quickly as possible in the short time we have and try to implement the ideas in the few training sessions we have.”
Germany will take on the United States in Connecticut on October 14 and Mexico in Philadelphia on October 18.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona/ESP), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt), Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Bernd Leno (Fulham/ENG)
Defenders: Robin Gosens (Union Berlin), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Antonio Ruediger (Real Madrid/ESP), Niklas Suele (Borussia Dortmund), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Malick Thiaw (AC Milan/ITA), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Chris Fuehrich (Stuttgart), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Gross (Brighton/ENG), Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona/ESP), Jonas Hofmann (Bayer Leverkusen), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Forwards: Kevin Behrens (Union Berlin), Niclas Fuellkrug (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal/ENG), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich)
