Germany squad reveal: Nagelsmann explains Musiala absence and Karl call-up

On Thursday afternoon, Germany announced their squad for the upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana later this month.

As expected, Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala was left out after recently suffering a minor setback following his return to action from the serious ankle injury he sustained last summer.

Explaining the decision, Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann said at a press conference on Thursday:

“He had a slight reaction. That’s normal, but it’s frustrating because he had been on a good path. But we and Bayern share the same interest: that the player gets healthy again. I decided against taking him with us and letting him play through pain. That doesn’t help anyone. As always, I had a very good exchange with [Bayern coach] Vincent Kompany.”

While Musiala was not included, his Bayern teammate Lennart Karl received his first senior call-up.

On what he expects from the 18-year-old, Nagelsmann said:

“I expect him to bring his youthful fearlessness onto the pitch. He likes playing centrally, but we also have him planned on the right. I’m not putting any pressure on him to produce miracles. He should simply bring what a young player represents and play football freely, straight from the heart.”