The DFB announced the shirt numbers for the national team’s two upcoming international matches on Wednesday. One central number was not allocated.
Jamal Musiala is missing with an injury, but the FC Bayern playmaker is still firmly in the plans of national coach Julian Nagelsmann for the World Cup in the summer – this is underlined not least by the allocation of shirt numbers for the start of the World Cup year.
Musiala’s shirt number 10 will not be allocated for the international matches in Basel against Switzerland on Friday (8.45 pm/RTL) and three days later in Stuttgart against Ghana (8.45 pm/ARD) – the game is now sold out with around 53,000 fans, as is the following home game against Finland on May 31 in Mainz (approx. 25,500).
The legendary number is the only one between 1 and 26 to be withheld for the test match double-header. Musiala, from Munich, is still missing due to a pain reaction following his serious injury last summer. Nagelsmann revealed that he would have “loved to have had” the 23-year-old in the squad, but opted not to include the attacking player out of consideration for his health and the crucial phase of the season at Bayern, who are chasing several titles.
Baumann as expected – Karl with the 25
Goalkeeper Oliver Baumann will line up in Basel and Stuttgart with the number 1 on his back, as expected. In the absence of the injured Marc-André ter Stegen, the Hoffenheim man is the regular in the German goal.
Captain Joshua Kimmich retains his number 6, even if he is still scheduled as a right-back with a view to the World Cup. Winger Kevin Schade is given the number 9 at center forward. Newcomer Lennart Karl is to recommend himself for a place in the squad for the finals in the USA, Mexico and Canada with the 25.
