Uncapped quartet given Germany chance
Germany boss Joachim Low has given four uncapped players the chance to shine ahead of the FIFA World Cup in next week's friendly with Chile.
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With only four friendlies ahead of their World Cup opener against Portugal in June, the German coach has called up Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Matthias Ginter, Andre Hahn and Shkodran Mustafi for the match in Stuttgart.
Lasogga has brightened an otherwise miserable Bundesliga season for Hamburg with 11 goals in 16 games, while Hahn has netted 10 times in 21 appearances from Augsburg's midfield.
Ginter has turned in a number of assured performances in Freiburg's defence, while fellow centre-back Mustafi's call-up ends a whirlwind two years on a high note.
Released by David Moyes' Everton in January 2012, Mustafi joined Sampdoria in Serie B and has since helped them into the top flight, where he has impressed enough to attract Low's attention.
Experienced trio Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski return to the squad after injuries kept them out of last November's friendly with England, and Kevin Grosskreutz has also earned a recall.
"Many players are injured or have just got back and are not in form," Low said on announcing his squad. "We now have the ability to act and to work on solutions and alternatives for the real thing (the World Cup).
"Therefore we have decided to bring in new faces who have shown consistent form for their clubs.
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"We've also had Shkodran Mustafi and Matthias Ginter in the Under-21s, and Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Andre Hahn absolutely deserved their nominations.
"I look forward to getting to know them."
Squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund)
Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal), Shkodran Mustafi (Sampdoria), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund).
Midfielders: Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen), Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich), Kevin Grosskreutz (Borussia Dortmund), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Andre Hahn (Augsburg), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich).
Forwards: Miroslav Klose (Lazio), Pierre-Michel Lasogga (Hertha Berlin), Lukas Podolski (Arsenal), Sidney Sam (Bayer Leverkusen), Andre Schurrle (Chelsea).
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