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Germany take on Cameroon tomorrow in a last test for coach Joachim Loew before he names his final World Cup squad. |
Loew was in a positive frame of mind at the team training camp in St Leonhard, Italy yesterday as he outlined the recovery of a number of key players who have been labouring with injuries.
“As far as team spirit is concerned, I can say only one thing: It’s outstanding. The team has become more and more a unit in these last few days,” he said.
Loew said there was “clear progress” in the recovery from injury of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, keeper Manuel Neuer and Sami Khedira.
Neuer and captain Lahm will not, however, play in tomorrow’s friendly international against fellow World Cup travellers Cameroon in Moenchengladbach.
Loew says tomorrow’s encounter is an “important opportunity for me to draw some further conclusions, tactically as well on individual players.”
Loew will then name his final 23-man party, and will have to disappoint three players who have been with the squad for 10 days in South Tyrol.
“Afterwards there are decisions to be made, important but also hard because all the players who were here gave everything. The decision on which 23 players we are taking to Brazil will be made on Sunday after the match.”
Midfielders Schweinsteiger and Khedira have both been able to train fully with the team, captain Lahm has worked intensively with the ball, while Neuer is expected to be available again next week after a shoulder injury.
Real Madrid’s Khedira says he is now fully recovered followed surgery on a cruciate ligament tear.
“There’s no injury to speak of,” he told DFB TV.
The 27-year-old received a knock to his recently recovered right knee in the 8-0 friendly win against Germany’s U-20 team on Thursday evening, but there were no ill-effects.
“I feel good,” he said. “It showed the knee can take a big hit and still hold out.”
Neuer and captain Lahm will not play tomorrow, while Borussia Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller will start in goal. Neuer is expected to return for a friendly against Armenia next Friday.
Germany begin their World Cup campaign against Portugal in Salvador on Monday June 16, and then play Ghana and the United States in Group G.
Germany come up against some familiar faces tomorrow against a Cameroon side featuring Schalke central defender Joel Matip and Mainz striker Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting, who both hope to play.
Cameroon, who are in Group A at the World Cup with hosts Brazil, Croatia and Mexico, are led by an old Bundesliga hand in former Freiburg coach Volker Finke, who will be without injured star striker Samuel Eto’o.
The 33-year-old Chelsea forward has not yet recovered from a knee injury which kept him out of two friendlies this week. “He needs quiet and specific individual work,” Finke said. “We are doing everything so that he can play a good role at the World Cup.”