Germany has handed Youssoufa Moukoko a call-up for the World Cup squad. In place of the injured Timo Werner in the 26-man roster announced by Germany head coach Hansi Flick for the tournament in Qatar is the adolescent Youssoufa Moukoko, who has six goals this season in the Bundesliga. Niclas Fullkrug, a forward for Werder Bremen, was also given a spot due to his outstanding season and 10 goals thus far. Four Premier League players are on the team, including Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz, West Ham defender Thilo Kehrer, Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, and Saints center-back Bella-Kotchap.
The 30-year-old midfielder Mario Gotze is making a remarkable comeback for his country after a five-year absence. After rejoining the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt this season, Gotze, who scored the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final, is performing at his peak. With Thomas Muller, youngster Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka, and Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich has a solid midfield core. For the fourth World Cup in a row, Manuel Neuer, the starting goalie, will serve as captain.
Four-time champions With the squad departing for Oman on Monday, where they will play their final warm-up game on November 16 before going on to Doha, Germany is hoping to atone for their shocking first-round loss in 2018. However, the absences included Mats Hummels, a defender, and Dortmund captain Marco Reus, who was unable to return from yet another injury in time. Reus missed the 2014 World Cup as well after getting hurt just before they left for Brazil, where they won the tournament.
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