Joachim Loew Announces Germany Squad For Upcoming Euro 2012 Qualifiers

Joachim Loew announced his squad today for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Turkey and Kazakhstan. A call-up for in-form Borussia Dortmund winger Kevin Grosskreutz will please Bundesliga fans who have been watching the young star of late, but omissions include Mats Hummels, Andre Scheurrle and Lewis Holtby, who have all been in top form domestically.

Michael Ballack will also miss out on playing for his country due to continuing injury problems which will reportedly keep him out until the new year. In his stead, Philipp Lahm retains the captain’s armband. Much was made about Michael Ballack’s ability to force himself back into the Germany setup, with many believing that Ballack would achieve that target. Unfortunately, now, it looks a bridge too far for the veteran midfielder. Aging legs and niggling injury problems will likely force Ballack to miss out on regular football this season, and players like Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger will be near impossible to replace in the national setup soon enough.

The squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Rene Adler, Tim Wiese

Defenders: Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng, Marcell Jansen, Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Sascha Riether, Heiko Westermann

Midfielders: Kevin Grosskreutz, Sami Khedira, Toni Kroos, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marko Marin, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Mueller, Lukas Podolski, Christian Traesch

Forwards: Miroslav Klose, Mario Gomez, Cacau