Brazil 2014: Khedira, Podolski make Germany’s 30-man provisional squad

Florentina striker, Mario Gomez, was excluded.

The German national football team coach, Joachim Low, has announced his 30-man provisional squad for this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
The team includes Arsenal’s Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski. However, Florentina striker, Mario Gomez, was excluded.
Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is set to join Barcelona this summer, also missed out as Ron-Robert Zieler got the nod as third-choice shot-stopper.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid midfielder, Sami Khedira, has been included despite missing much of the season due to a knee injury.

Some promising youngsters such as Erik Durm, Shkodran Mustafi, Matthias Ginter, Leon Goretzka and Max Meyer are among the more surprising inclusions in the preliminary squad, with the final 23-man party set to be confirmed on June 2.

Germany will face Portugal, Ghana and United States in the group stage.

SQUAD IN FULL:

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover)

Defenders : Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Erik Durm (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Grosskreutz (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal), Shkodran Mustafi (Sampdoria), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund)

Midfielders : Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Draxler (Schalke), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Leon Goretzka (Schalke), Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich), Andre Hahn (Augsburg), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Max Meyer (Schalke), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)