BERLIN: Germany will kick off its
Nations League
matches in September without most of its
Bayern
Munich and RB
Leipzig
internationals, who finished their season only days ago with the Champions League tournament.
National coach Joachim Loew on Tuesday said the disrupted season, which ended with Sunday's Champions League final that Bayern won, meant there would be changes in the squad for games against Spain on Sept. 3 and Switzerland three days later.
Germany will be without Bayern's treble winners
Joshua Kimmich,
Leon Goretzka
,
Manuel Neuer and Serge Gnabry and Leipzig's Lukas Klostermann and Marcel Halstenberg.
"As a national team coach I have a responsibility to the players," Loew told a news conference. "What is important is that clubs and federations work closer together than ever in order to control the strain on the players."
He will however have Bayern central defender Niklas Suele, recently back following a cruciate ligament tear last year, and Paris St Germain's Julian Draxler and Thilo Kehrer.
"They had a longer break in France and have played fewer matches than the Bayern or Leipzig players," Loew said.
Loew also called up three newcomers with Atalanta leftback Robin Gosens, Borussia Moenchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus and Hoffenheim keeper Oliver Baumann in his 22-man squad.
Germany also play Ukraine as part of their League A Group 4 matches.
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