Berlin: Germany coach Joachim Loew on Friday named 18 of his World Cup winning squad for a friendly match against Argentina and the opening European Champion qualifier against Scotland next week.
Strikers Marco Reus, who missed the World Cup due to injury, and Mario Gomez, who was overlooked for Brazil, return to the squad for the games in Dusseldorf on September 3 and Dortmund four days later.
Missing are former skipper Philipp Lahm, record goalscorer Mirolsav Klose and defender Per Mertesacker, who have all retired from international football, and influential midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who is sidelined with a knee injury.
All will be present though as spectators in Dusseldorf in the re-run of the July 13 World Cup final which Brazil won 1-0 in extra-time with a goal from substitute Mario Goetze.
The friendly with Argentina had been arranged in March before the World Cup.
Loew said he was delighted to have Reus back in the squad, having torn ligaments in his left ankle in Germany’s final World Cup warmup match against Armenia. He returned to action for Borussia Dortmund in a German Cup match on August 16.
“We missed him in Brazil. I am sure he has some great tournaments ahead of him and will achieve great things,” Loew added.
Gomez, he said, had earned his way back into the national squad through his own hard work.
“If he is on top of his game we can use all of his qualities at the heart of our attack.”
Germany squad for a friendly against Argentina in Dusseldorf on September 3 and the Euro 2016 qualifier against Scotland in Dortmund on September 7:
Ebrahim Afellay and Davy Klaassen have been added to the Netherlands squad for two internationals next month, the Dutch football association (KNVB) said on Friday.
Coach Guus Hiddink kept his selection at 25 players for the friendly against Italy in Bari on September 5 and the Euro 2016 qualifier against the Czech Republic in Prague four days later.
Afellay, recently loaned by Barcelona to Olympiakos in Greece, and Ajax Amsterdam midfielder Klaassen replaced goalkeeper Michel Vorm and Paris St Germain full back Gregory van der Wiel who were named in the provisional squad.
Hiddink recalled defender Erik Pieters and midfielder Rafael van der Vaart who was ruled out of the World Cup through injury.
Hiddink promised he would stick largely with the players Louis van Gaal picked over the last two years who took the team to third place at this year’s World Cup in Brazil.
