Berlin: Germany have included 2014 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in their final squad for the 2018 tournament, even though he has only just returned from a long-term absence through injury.
However, coach Joachim Loew omitted Manchester City striker Leroy Sane from his 23-player list despite a strong season with the Premier League champions. Bayern Munich goalkeeper Neuer made his first appearance since September in the 1-2 defeat by Austria in a friendly Saturday.
The 32-year-old Neuer who is considered key to Germany’s hopes of retaining the title had been sidelined for eight months after fracturing a metatarsal in his left foot last September in a recurrence of the same injury he suffered earlier in 2017.
Sane was cut from the squad with Timo Werner and the veteran Mario Gomez included as just two out-and-out strikers.
The squad: (Goalkeepers) Manuel Neuer, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, Kevin Trapp; (Defenders) Marvin Plattenhardt, Jonas Hector, Matthias Ginter, Mats Hummels, Niklas Suele, Antonio Rudiger, Jerome Boateng, Joshua Kimmich; (Midfielders) Sami Khedira, Julian Draxler, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Mueller, Sebastian Rudy, Julian Brandt, Ilkay Gundogan, Leon Goretzka, Marco Reus; (Forwards) Timo Werner, Mario Gomez.
