By Barry Whelan, dpa
Germany face fellow Euro 2016 finalists Slovakia on Sunday in a last test for coach Joachim Loew before he names his squad for the June 10-July 10 tournament in France. Uncapped players are likely to be in focus for the world champions.
Berlin (dpa) – Keeper Bernd Leno will earn a first cap and youngsters Joshua Kimmich, Julian Weigl and Julian Brandt could also make their debuts for Germany against Slovakia on Sunday in a last test before coach Joachim Loew names his Euro 2016 squad.
Loew has to discard four players from his provisional list of 27 by Tuesday’s deadline for squad lists for the tournament beginning in France on June 10.
Goalkeeper coach Andreas Koepke confirmed that 24-year-old Leno would start Sunday, while first-choice keeper Manuel Neuer will be among players remaining at the squad’s training base in Ascona, Switzerland.
Slovakia is one of two friendlies – Hungary follow in Gelsenkirchen Saturday June 4 – before the world champions begin their Euro campaign in France against Ukraine in Lille on June 12.
Germany still have a number of injury problems which could give the likes of Bayern’s 21-year-old Kimmich, who can play midfield and defence, or 20-year-old Weigl, who has established himself in Dortmund’s midfield, a chance of making the final squad.
Loew may also want to take another look at Schalke striker Leroy Sane, another 20-year-old, who has made one appearance when he came on as a substitute during the second half against France in a 2-0 defeat at Stade de France in November.
All the youngsters featured in a 7-0 run out against the Germany Under-20 side at the squad’s Swiss training camp.
«One can’t win a tournament with 11 players. We have players in our squad who can play at any time,» Loew said.
Mats Hummels appears to be the biggest injury concern for Loew, with the Borussia Dortmund central defender in the treatment room for a calf muscle fibre tear.
Attacking midfielder Marco Reus has been labouring with a groin strain, while 31-year-old captain Bastian Schweinsteiger has been out of action since March, but has come through two training sessions following a knee injury.
Midfielder Sami Khedira and Mario Goetze, who has been used by Loew as a forward, are back in training following injuries.
The match is also a key test for Slovakia ahead of their first appearance at a European Championship and six years after they qualified for the first time for a major tournament in reaching the 2010 World Cup finals, where they beat Italy 3-2 on the road to the last 16 before going out 2-1 to the Netherlands.
Slovakia managed to defeat European champions Spain 2-1 in the qualifiers to suggest that coach Jan Kozak’s side will be no pushovers in France, where they are in a group with Wales, Russia and England.
«I expect and hope that we will be a hard opponent at the European Championship,» Kozak said.
Slovakia, with top players of the likes of Napoli’s Marek Hamsik in midfield and Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel in defence, go into the match two days after playing Georgia on Friday, with Kozak planning to look at all 27 of his players before finalising his 23-man squad on Monday.
«Two matches in three days are not easy but this way everyone has the opportunity to show what they can do,» he said.
