Mats Hummels & Serge Gnabry among big names missing from Germany's Euro 2024 squad
- Julian Nagelsmann names 27-player Euro 2024 squad
- Some big names left out in favour of new blood
- Expectations are high for Germany as host nation
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has chosen a 27-player preliminary squad for Euro 2024 on home soil, but has overlooked a handful of experienced names in favour of fresh blood.
Die Mannschaft are desperate to make an impact this summer, having been knocked out of the last two World Cups at the group and going no further than the last 16 at Euro 2020.
Naglesmann, already signed up to lead Germany to the 2026 World Cup following a recent new contract, has rolled the dice with a few selections who have little or no international experience.
Not getting the call are veteran Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels, who has defied his 35 years to play like a colossus en-route to the Champions League final, and Bayern Munich pair Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka. Timo Werner also misses out, which is less surprising after struggling to reignite his stalled career during a loan at Tottenham Hotspur.
There is no Julian Brandt or Emre Can either, and no reprieve for 22-year-old Karim Adeyemi, who hasn't been named in a senior Germany squad since the 2022 World Cup.
Four of the players Nagelsmann has chosen – Maximilian Beier, Aleksandar Pavlovic and goalkeepers Alexander Nubel and Oliver Baumann – are yet to earn a single senior cap. Seven others like Pascal Gross and Robin Koch, while not necessarily young in age, have made fewer than ten appearances.
But the boss hasn't dispensed with all seniority. Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and the recently unretired Toni Kroos have all played well over 100 times each for their country. With 75 caps at the age of 33, Ilkay Gundogan is another who is up there in terms of squad leaders.
Euro 2024 squads can include a maximum of 26 players, which means Nagelsmann will have to cut one before the tournament – likely to be from the four goalkeepers. But decision won't be made until after Germany have played warm-up friendlies against Ukraine and Greece in early June.
27-player preliminary Germany squad - Euro 2024
Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Alexander Nubel (Stuttgart), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)
Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Stuttgart), Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Robin Koch (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maximilian Mittelstadt (Stuttgart), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Chris Fuhrich (Stuttgart), Pascal Gross (Brighton), Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Maximilian Beier (Hoffenheim), Niclas Fullkrug (Borussia Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Thomas Muller (Bayern), Deniz Undav (Sttutgart)