Neuer in Germany squad, Sane left out
Berlin, June 4: Germany have included 2014 World Cup- winning captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in their final squad for the 2018 tournament, even though he has only just returned from a long- term absence through injury.
But in a surprise omission, coach Joachim Loew left Manchester City striker Leroy Sane out of his 23player list despite a strong season with the Premier League champions.
“Leroy has a huge amount of talent and he will be back in again because from September we will re- double our work with him,” Loew said. “But in his games with the national team he hasn’t quite done the business.”
Neuer who is considered key to Germany’s hopes of retaining the title had been sidelined for eight months after fracturing a metatarsal in his left foot last September in a recurrence of the same injury he suffered earlier in 2017.
Sane was cut from the squad with Timo Werner and the veteran Mario Gomez included as just two out- and- out strikers.
FRANCE CONFIRM UNCHANGED SQUAD France formally submitted their 23- man squad for the World Cup on Monday, making no changes from the group named in mid- May.
None of the original 23 have been replaced by anyone on Didier Deschamps’ stand by list.
Spain, the 2010 world champions, have one final warm- up game against Tunisia in Krasnodar next Saturday before their opening match of the tournament against Portugal on June 15.
Switzerland take on Japan in Lugano next Friday ahead of flying out to Russia. Defenders: Marvin Plattenhardt, Jonas Hector, Matthias Ginter, Mats Hummels, Niklas Suele, Antonio Rudiger, Jerome Boateng, Joshua Kimmich. Midfielders: Sami Khedira, Julian Draxler, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Mueller, Sebastian Rudy, Julian Brandt, Ilkay Gundogan, Leon Goretzka, Marco Reus. Forwards: Timo Werner Mario Gomez GUERRERO SCORES TWICE ON RETURN
In St. Gallen, Paolo Guerrero scored twice in a 3- 0 friendly win over Saudi Arabia to cap an emotional week for the Peru captain who was cleared to play at the World Cup after his long legal battle against a 14- month drugs suspension.
The 34- year- old striker won a last- ditch legal appeal on Thursday to appear at the tournament in Russia.
Guerrero has played just a handful of matches for his Brazilian club Flamengo since he was initially banned on November 3, a ruling that forced him out of Peru’s two- legged World Cup play- off with New Zealand. But the former Bayern Munich star displayed no obvious signs of rust against Saudi Arabia in St Gallen, Switzerland, as his two goals sealed a convincing win after Andre Carrillo had fired the South Americans ahead on 21 minutes.
In San Jose, two headed goals from corners and a strike from Joel Campbell gave Costa Rica a comfortable 3- 0 win over Northern Ireland. Johan Venegas Ulloa opened the scoring. Campbell doubled their lead seconds after the restart and then Francisco Calvo got a third, also via a corner kick.