Bayern Munich legend Bastian Schweinsteiger
Germany boss Hansi Flick has his provisional list of players that he has made eligible for the World Cup in Qatar, but there are a few weeks to go before he narrows it down to his starting XI.
Surely, Bayern Munich will be well-represented and club legend Bastian Schweinsteiger already knows who would represent Germany on the pitch for game one:
Striker: Thomas Müller, Bayern Munich
Left-wing: Leroy Sané, Bayern Munich
Attacking midfielder: Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich
Right-wing: Marco Reus, Borussia Dortmund
Central midfield: Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich
Central midfield: Leon Goretzka, Bayern Munich
Left-back: Christian Günter, SC Freiburg
Center-back: Nico Schlotterbeck, Borussia Dortmund
Center-back: Antonio Rüdiger, Real Madrid
Right-back: Jonas Hofmann, Borussia Mönchengladbach
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich
Surely, there are a few surprises there. Left-back has mostly been manned by RB Leipzig’s David Raum and Inter Milan’s Robin Gosens in recent years, but neither player has been at the top if his game this season. At center-back, Borussia Dortmund Niklas Süle was left out of the starting squad by Schweinsteiger, which would be a bit of a surprise.
At right-back, Germany has another toss up position, so Schweinsteiger went with Hofmann over RB Leipzig’s Lukas Klostermann, Paris Saint-Germain’s Thilo Kehrer, and SC Freiburg’s Matthias Ginter.
Otherwise, Marco Reus at right-wing over Serge Gnabry was a shock, while Schweinsteiger also went with his golf buddy, Müller, over RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner and Chelsea FC’s Kai Havertz. Both Werner and Havertz could find playing time in different positions (as could Musiala, Reus, and Müller depending on what Flick wants to do).
Whatever the case, Flick does not have an easy job and picking the best XI will be a hotly debated topic among Germany’s fanbase.
[Source: bavarianfootballworks.com]