5 players who missed out a place in Germany's provisional World Cup squad

Germany v Argentina: 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final
Germany have named their provisional squad to defend their World Cup title

#1 Mario Götze (Borussia Dortmund)

Germany v Ghana: Group G - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil
Götze will not be seen in the 2018 World Cup

The biggest news from Germany's provisional World Cup squad was the absence of a certain Mario Götze. The man who scored the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina will not be seen in the upcoming edition.

Götze has battled with injuries since his move to Borussia Dortmund in 2016. A metabolic illness saw him feature for Dortmund just 11 times in the 16/17 season. But this season, Götze has featured 20 times for his club and has been involved in five goals (2 goals and 3 assists).

The attacking midfielder has performed in patches and it may be his indifferent form and fitness that led Joachim Low to take this big decision. But Götze would feel hard done by as his teammate Marco Reus has booked his place in the team despite making just 7 appearances in the league this season.

Other notable exclusions -

Max Meyer (Schalke 04)

Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)

Andre Schurrle (Borussia Dortmund)

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