BERLIN, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana, Julian Nagelsmann has given first hints of how Germany's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup might look.
Bayern youngster Lennart Karl and goalkeeper Jonas Urbig earned their first national team nomination, while Brighton's Pascal Gross, Arsenal's Kai Havertz, Leeds's Anton Stach, Real's Antonio Rudiger, and Stuttgart's Deniz Undav and Josha Vagnoman are mentioned in a German association statement as "returnees."
The 38-year-old, however, surprised all by nominating Newcastle's striker Nick Woltemade and Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka. Woltemade suffers a performance low in the Magpies shirt, while Goretzka announced to leave Bayern after eight years with the Bavarians as the club refused to provide a new contract.
Nagelsmann spoke about Goretzka as a national team regular despite decreasing playing time in Bayern's shirt, "as there are not many players of his type able to cover the space between the boxes."
The former Bayern coach reaffirmed his decision to play Joshua Kimmich as a right-back and to make Hoffenheim keeper Oliver Baumann his No. 1 choice for the World Cup. "We will stick to that," he said.
Bayern's Jamal Musiala is left out due to an injured left leg, while Cologne's Said El Mala, Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi, and Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller and Maximilian Mittelstadt also received disappointing news.
With a few months to go until the World Cup's kick-off, the German coach had announced that the 26-player squad for the test games in Basel and Stuttgart will be close to the one competing in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The German team will gather starting this Monday in Herzogenaurach. ■
