Götze And Moukoko Included, Hummels Misses Out

German national team head coach Hansi Flick has nominated his 26-player squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and at first glance, there are only a few surprises. In fact, the biggest surprises may have come among the omissions as Mats Hummels, and Marco Reus will not be on the plane.

While Reus has struggled with an ankle injury in recent weeks, there was hope within his camp that he would get fit in time to make the squad. Flick, however, was not confident that the Dortmund star would be fit on time for the tournament.

“I’ve often said how much I appreciate him as a footballer,” Flick said as part of the squad announcement press conference when asked about Reus. “We had to decide whether to take the risk or not. It wasn’t entirely clear when he might have joined. We made the decision and told him so. It hurts us because we can really use his quality.”

It is another bitter chapter in Reus’ career that now might end without a major title and just a few games played at Germany’s disappointing World Cup in Russia four years ago. There is no doubt that Reus, in top form, would have helped the squad, but the BVBVB
captain’s return has been delayed on several occasions, and he will now have the winter to recover.

Another surprise was the omission of Dortmund defender Hummels. Hummels has been in great form in recent weeks and, together with Antonio Rüdiger, would have had the potential to create a stable defensive line for the Die Nationalmannschaft.

“Without surprise, this was one of the biggest disappointments in my career,” Hummels said in a statement. “I’ll cross my fingers for the team at the World Cup and will use the time to react to such an experience with hard work as I always did.”

Flick, in the meantime, stressed that he still values Hummels. “Mats is fully fit and in excellent form,” Flick said. “But within the coaching team, we decided for a younger player [Bella-Kotchap]. The focus was more on the future.”

The inclusion of the 20-year-old is a bit of a surprise at first glance. But Flick will very much use this tournament to build for Euro 2024, which is hosted by Germany. That would explain why younger defenders like Nico Schlotterbeck and Bella-Kotchap are on the team, and Hummels is not.

Also on the plane to Qatar are in-form Werder striker Niclas Füllkrug and Dortmund’s 17-year-old striker Youssoufa Moukoko. Even though both deserve to be there based on their recent run of form, one wonders whether they would have made the team if Timo Werner (Leipzig) and Lukas Nmecha (Wolfsburg) would be fit for Qatar.

“Niclas has ten goals,” Flick said. “He has the momentum on his side. He’s doing very well. If you watch Bremen, they’ve always changed games at the last minute. Niclas gives us extra confidence and something we don’t have. He can identify well with any role.”

The question ahead of the World Cup is who will fulfill the no.9 role for this team. Or, in other words, who will be Germany’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting? The Bayern striker has been in excellent form recently and is a big reason for the Rekordmeister’s success in the Bundesliga and Champions League in recent weeks.

Unfortunately for Flick, Choupo-Moting represents Cameroon rather than the country of his birth Germany, for whom he played at the youth level. Flick will, therefore, try to find a player that he can surround with Bayern’s in-form attackers, a finisher that can execute the attacks instigated by Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry, and Leroy Sané.

Füllkrug and Moukoko could certainly grow into that role. Another possibility is Kai Havertz. The Chelsea forward is a man for the big moments and, surrounded by Bayern players, will certainly be more productive than he is for the Blues in the Premier League, as that club is turning into a graveyard for forwards.

A special role will also fall to Mario Götze. Götze, aged 30, is finally fulfilling the potential that was placed in him during his teenage years and in his early 20s. The Frankfurt playmaker is in brilliant form and has been world-class in the Champions League.

Götze has the rare talent to find the perfect pass at the perfect moments and, according to Wyscout, leads the Bundesliga with 24 smart passes played this season. Götze will be key against opponents that sit deep against Germany, providing the key pass at just the right moment that could make the difference between victory and defeat.

“He’s a brilliant footballer who has flashes of inspiration,” Flick said. “Mario has been playing at an extremely high level in the past few weeks. He had problems at the beginning, but now he’s fully fit.” The Frankfurt star will give Flick depth both in the attack and central midfield, where his options are limited.

For Götze, this World Cup could be a redemption of sorts. The scorer of Germany’s World Cup-winning goal is back in the squad for the first time since 2017 and has often stressed the burden that came with that goal scored against Argentina in 2014. Now eight years later, Götze has the maturity to play a big role, and would it not be an amazing story if he once again plays a big role for Germany at a successful World Cup?

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth