Berlin: Germany will travel to this month’s World Cup in Brazil with only one out-and-out striker to end their 18-year wait for an international title after coach Joachim Loew cut Kevin Volland from his final 23-man squad on Monday.
Hoffenheim forward Volland joined defender Shkodran Mustafi and left back Marcel Schmelzer, still nursing a knee injury, as the three players left out of the final squad after being included in a provisional selection for a training camp in Italy.
Volland’s exclusion came as a surprise given the stocky striker’s physical strength and all-round play were seen as a good alternative to veteran forward Miroslav Klose, who will be 36 next week.
In Moscow, Russia coach Fabio Capello named his final 23-man squad led by experienced defender Sergei Ignashevich, midfielder Roman Shirokov and forward Alexander Kerzhakov. The 31-year-old Kerzhakov is the only player in the squad who has previous World Cup experience having been in the squad that competed in 2002, the last time Russia reached the final stages.
In Rome, Fiorentina striker Giuseppe Rossi was the major absentee when Italy coach Cesare Prandelli named his 23-man squad.
Rossi’s exclusion was perhaps not a huge surprise as he missed four months of the season due to injury and didn’t have enough time to rediscover his form and fitness to convince Prandelli of his worth.
Napoli player Lorenzo Insigne joins forwards Mario Balotelli and Ciro Immobile, Serie A’s top scorer on the plane to Brazil.
