Germany brings fresh talent to Sweden for friendly

Germany brings fresh talent to Sweden for friendly

Published Nov. 16, 2010 11:01 a.m. ET

Four newcomers will aim to impress Germany coach Joachim Loew following his decision to rest regular performers for Wednesday's friendly against Sweden.

Mesut Oezil, Thomas Mueller and Philipp Lahm were all left out at the request of their clubs, while Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski are injured.

That gives openings for midfielder Mario Goetze and defender Marcel Schmelzer of Bundesliga leader Borussia Dortmund, with Mainz midfielders Andre Schuerrle and Lewis Holtby also in the 20-man squad.

Loew has hinted that the youngsters are likely to see action at Ullevi stadium.

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"We are looking forward greatly to the game and are highly motivated," Loew said. "We now have a good opportunity to get to know new, young players better."

Sweden will rest striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and central defender Olof Mellberg, but is expected to field its other regulars.

Coach Erik Hamren has brought in one fresh face: striker Alexander Gerndt of Helsingborg, the top scorer in this year's Swedish league with 20 goals.

Sweden got off to a strong start in the 2012 European Championship qualifying with home wins against Hungary and San Marino, but was outplayed 4-1 at the Netherlands.

Hamren said he's studied the match in Amsterdam to make sure Sweden's mistakes are not repeated.

"Above all, it's our defensive work in a couple of situations where Holland is good but we maybe help them too much by the way we act," Hamren said.

It's unclear who will play in Sweden's goal with longtime first choice Andreas Isaksson challenged by FC Copenhagen goalkeeper Johan Wiland.

Germany, which finished third in the World Cup in South Africa, tops its European qualifying group after four consecutive wins.

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