Karl, Urbig and Undav in for Germany, Stiller out
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Jonas Urbig warms up prior to the start of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, Second Leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Atalanta Bergamo at the Allianz Arena. Tom Weller/dpa Bayern Munich duo Lennart Karl and Jonas Urbig were handed first call-ups to the Germany squad on Thursday for World Cup warm-ups against Switzerland and Ghana, while VfB Stuttgart striker Deniz Undav was included but team mate Angelo Stiller missed out. Coach Julian Nagelsmann is shorn of playmaker Jamal Musiala after Bayern Munich asked for him to be rested as he has a minor injury and continues to build up fitness from last July's broken leg.
RB Leipzig's Assan Ouedraogo, who scored on debut in November, is also injured. Kai Havertz, Anton Stach, Pascal Gross and Josha Vagnoman are notable returns to the squad, but Karim Adeyemi and Jonathan Burkardt are not included. Germany face Switzerland in Basel on March 27 and then host Ghana in Suttgart on March 30.
These are the last matches before Nagelsmann has to name his World Cup party, with further friendlies against Finland and the United States in May and June. Germany face debutants Curaçao, Ivory Coadt and Ecuador in the group stage of the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11. Urbig is Bayern's second keeper behind Manuel Neuer but has received significant game time given injuries to the 2014 World Cup winner, who has retired from internationals.
Urbig was shaky last season but has improved in this campaign. A call-up is still a surprise. Hoffenheim keeper Oliver Baumann is expected to be the number one for the World Cup.
Stuttgart's Alexander Nübel is again in the squad but Augsburg's Finn Dahmen and Freiburg stopper Noah Atubolu, both in the last squad in November, are omitted this time. Bayern's 18-year-old winger Lennart Karl has broken through into the first-team this term with a series of eyecatching performances. He scored in the win over Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday.