The China Mail - Karl handed Germany debut as Musiala misses out with injury

Karl, 18, has impressed since he made his senior debut this season. He became Bayern's youngest ever Champions League goalscorer when he scored against Club Brugge in October.

Bayern goalkeeper Jonas Urbig, 22, was also called up for the first time. Brought to Bayern to deputise behind veteran Manuel Neuer in January 2025, Urbig has played 13 times in all competitions this season.

Musiala returned in January having missed six months with a broken ankle but has been out since reinjuring the leg in March.

Kai Havertz, Anton Stach, Antonio Rudiger and Pascal Gross return to the squad, as do Stuttgart's Deniz Undav and Josha Vagnoman.

Liverpool's Florian Wirtz and Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade have retained their spots in the squad.

Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi has been dropped while West Ham striker Niclas Fuellkrug, on loan at AC Milan, also did not make the cut.

Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller and Maximilian Mittelstaedt have both missed out, as has RB Leipzig's Benjamin Henrichs, who is returning from a torn Achilles.

Teenage Cologne talent Said El Mala, 19, is on standby and will instead play with the under-21 team.

The coach previously said he expects the squad for the March friendlies to mirror that sent to the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.

"This squad will be very similar to the one we'll be traveling to the World Cup with," Nagelsmann said in an interview with Kicker on March 1.

"Of course, some things can still change after that, but the general basic idea is that the March squad and the World Cup squad are related."

Germany thumped Slovakia 6-0 in the final group stage match to top the group and qualify for the tournament directly.

The four-time World Cup winners take on Switzerland in Basel on March 27 before hosting Ghana in Stuttgart three days later.

The March friendlies will provide Nagelsmann with a chance for a last tune-up before the end of the club football season.

The Germans will have one final match on home soil, against Finland in May, before facing World Cup co-hosts the United States in Chicago on June 6.

Germany will be based in North Carolina during the tournament.

Germany squad:

Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Alexander Nuebel (Stuttgart), Jonas Urbig (Bayern Munich)

Defenders: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund), Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt), Pascal Gross (Brighton and Hove Albion/ENG), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Anton Stach (Leeds United/ENG), Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich), Malick Thiaw (Newcastle/ENG), Josha Vagnoman (Stuttgart)

Midfielders/forwards: Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Kai Havertz (Arsenal/ENG), Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich), Jamie Leweling (Stuttgart), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Leroy Sane (Galatasaray/TUR), Kevin Schade (Brentford/ENG), Deniz Undav (Stuttgart), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool/ENG), Nick Woltemade (Newcastle/ENG)

N.Wan--ThChM