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The defending champions Germany go into the World Cup in Russia without losing a single point in the qualification campaign. They won all their 10 games and scored 43 goals in the process and are one of the favourites to win the title in Russia.
Germany will produce a strong team with a lot of depth on the bench. Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Philipp Lahm, Thomas Muller, and Toni Kroos will be looking to win their second World Cup in a row.
Exciting young talents like Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich, Leroy Sane, and Timo Werner are expected to make their respective World Cup debuts. Though the majority of the players in Germany’s 23-man World squad can be guessed, there are quite a few places that are up for grabs.
On that note, let’s take a look at the 5 players whom Joachim Löw should consider for the World Cup in Russia.
#5 Maximilian Philipp
Age: 23
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Forward
The Borussia Dortmund attacker is currently one of the most exciting talents in German football. He has been in good form this season, scoring 6 goals in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund. For his previous club SC Freiburg, Philipp racked up 18 goals and 23 assists in 88 appearances.
The Germany U-21 international is yet to make his senior national debut but has been knocking on the doors for quite some time. He is prolific with both feet and his work-rate is phenomenal. His vision, creativity, and finishing are garnering a lot of praise this season.
The 23-year-old will be a good addition to the squad because of his versatility. Germany will be represented by the likes of Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller, Julian Draxler, Marco Reus, Leroy Sane, and Mario Gotze in the attacking roles, and Philipp only has an outside chance to make it to the Germany squad, but he honestly should be given a chance.
#4 Julian Brandt
Age: 21
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Winger
A rising star in German football, the 21-year-old has taken the Bundesliga by storm with some stunning performances for Bayer Leverkusen. He was also a part of the Germany squad that has won the FIFA Confederation Cup in 2017.
He is into his fifth season in the Bundesliga and is a first-team regular at the BayArena. Brandt has already made 115 appearances for Leverkusen in Bundesliga, scoring 22 times, and made his senior debut for Germany in 2016. Notably, he has gone on to make 13 appearances for the national team.
Playing primarily on the left flank, Brandt's first touch, and speed are outstanding. He possesses a solid technique and is excellent in the air. He is not even 22 but has a lot of experience of playing at the highest level and will give variety to Löw's attack.
#3 Julian Weigl
Age: 22
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Midfielder
The Borussia Dortmund star is already a well-known figure in European football. The 22-year-old central midfielder has already made 110 appearances for Dortmund and made his Germany debut in 2016, but only has 5 appearances for the national team because of injuries.
Unlike other defensive midfielders, Julian Weigl is more dependent on intelligent positioning and reading of the game, rather than pace and physicality. He is excellent at passing and is remarkably calm on the ball, because of which, he has already attracted attention from top Europen clubs.
Though Joachim Löw's side is gifted in the defensive midfield area, Weigl is one player who can always offer something extra. When fit, the youngster is one of the most reliable midfielders in German football at the moment.
#2 Matthias Ginter
Age: 24
Club: Borussia Monchengladbach
Position: Centre-back
The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup winner with Germany, is one of the most promising young defenders in Bundesliga. The Borussia Monchengladbach defender is playing his seventh straight season in the German top-flight league.
Aged 24, Ginter has already made 17 appearances for Germany's national team. Ginter is a tall centre-back with great aerial abilities, who played a few games for Germany in the qualification campaign and showed a lot of promise.
He cannot replace Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, or Shkodran Mustafi in the starting eleven but is certainly a useful player to have in the 23 man squad as a backup centre-back. A consistent player for Monchengladbach this season, Ginter deserves a place in the World Cup squad.
#1 Emre Can
Age: 24
Club: Liverpool
Position: Midfielder
The Liverpool star has been in good form this season for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side. With Jordan Henderson out of the team with injuries and poor form, Can has been an ever-present figure in the line up at Anfield playing 27 games so far this season and scoring 4 times.
His place in the Germany World Cup squad still hangs in the balance. Germany have depth in the central midfield area with the likes of Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira, Leon Goretzka, and İlkay Gundogan being among the top choices. They have other options too in the form of Sebastian Rudy and Mahmoud Dahoud, and it is going to be a tricky decision for Joachim Löw.
Can has shown a lot of improvement this season and improved game time has done wonders for his confidence. He is physically strong and comfortable with the ball at his feet. Though he is not good enough to replace Real Madrid star Toni Kroos in the starting lineup, he is definitely a valuable player, who can make an impact from the bench.
