Germany national team manager Joachim Low has announced the 25-man squad for the World Cup qualifier against San Marino and the friendly against Italy scheduled for mid-November. Arsenal star Mesut Ozil is missing from the squad but Die Mannschaft were quick to announce that the 28-year-old has been rested and not dropped.
Die Mannschaft will be taking on San Marino on 12th November at the Olimpico di Serravalle in San Marino followed by the game against Italy at Giuseppe Meazza on 16th November.
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Three Under-21 internationals in Serge Gnabry, Benjamin Henrichs and Yannick Gerhardt earn their maiden senior call-up. Gnabry left Arsenal for Werder Bremen in the summer and the move looks to be paying dividends as the 21-year-old’s exploits with Die Grün-Weißen has earned him the spot. Henrichs is a midfielder for Bayern Leverkusen and has impressed in 13 first-team appearances this season while Gerhardt has also been impressive for VFL Wolfsburg.
Ozil has been in fine form for the Gunners having scored 7 goals and assisted 3 others in 13 games so far this season. The Gunners take on Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain immediately after the international break and the rest will come handy for Ozil, who helped Arsenal win their last game against Ludogorets with a wonder goal in the closing stages of the UEFA Champions League encounter.
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On Thursday, Arsene Wenger had expressed his desire that Ozil be left out of the German squad for the upcoming matches and it looks like Low has obliged. Speaking in his press conference, Low said: “Other top European leagues don’t have a winter break like we do in the Bundesliga. Therefore, it’s necessary that we give these players that are playing regularly for both club and country a rest.”
Not only that, Sami Khedira of Juventus and Toni Kroos of Real Madrid will only feature in the World Cup qualifier against San Marino and will return to their respective clubs.
Here is the complete 25-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)
Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Yannick Gerhardt (Wolfsburg), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Benjamin Henrichs (Bayer Leverkusen), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal), Sebastian Rudy (Hoffenheim), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Mario Gotze (Borussia Dortmund), Leon Goretzka (Schalke), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Max Meyer (Schalke), Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund)
Forwards: Serge Gnabry (Werder Bremen), Mario Gomez (Wolfsburg), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Kevin Volland (Bayer Leverkusen)
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