Reus, Gomez back in Germany squad for Argentina and Scotland games

Reus, Gomez back in Germany squad for Argentina and Scotland games

Published Aug. 29, 2014 8:25 a.m. ET

Germany coach Joachim Low has named 18 World Cup winners in his squad to face Argentina and Scotland next week.

Of the five world champions to miss out, Philipp Lahm, Miroslav Klose and Per Mertesacker have all retired while Bastian Schweinsteiger is injured and Shkodran Mustafi is not 100 per cent fit, although he will still link up in the squad in Dusseldorf on Monday.

Marco Reus, who missed the World Cup due to injury, returns to the 21-man squad while Mario Gomez and Antonio Rudiger are also back.

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"I'm delighted for Marco Reus that he's recovered from injury and is now back," said Low.

"We missed him in Brazil, but I'm sure he'll still get to play a major tournament and impress.

"As for Mario Gomez, I know that he has worked incredibly hard and with great self-discipline. He desperately wanted to return to the national team and he has absolutely deserved his call-up.

"When he is fit, he strengthens our attack.

"Antonio Rudiger was involved in the Poland friendly and I got a very good impression of him then. He can be an alternative for our defence."

Germany host Argentina in a repeat of the World Cup final before welcoming Scotland to Dortmund for their first Euro 2016 qualifier.

"It's going to be challenging and exciting for us to be able to play against Argentina again," Low said.

"I've got a great deal of respect for this team, who will be highly-motivated and won't gift us anything.

"We're at the start of a new season so this test is going to be a welcome one for us to measure ourselves at the highest level."

Four days later, work begins in earnest in trying to follow up their World Cup triumph with victory at the next European Championships.

"We won the World Cup, but that's in the past now," Low said. "We have set ourselves new goals, for the present and for the future.

"We want to open the door to new players. We've got many interesting options. Our aim is clear: we want to launch an assault on the Euro 2016 title.

"To do that, first we need to qualify and a good start is important for that. Of course it has got to be our aim to beat Scotland at home, but we're not going to underestimate them.

"Scotland play with their hearts and lot of passion and they are going to throw everything into the mixer and fight sacrificially."

The squad in full: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund), Ron Robert Zieler (Hannover); Mats Hummels, Erik Durm (both Borussia Dortmund), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Benedikt Howedes (Schalke), Antonio Rudiger (Stuttgart), Matthias GInter (Freiburg); Marco Reus, Kevin Grosskreutz (both Borussia Dortmund), Mario Gotze, Thomas Muller (both Bayern Munich), Julian Draxler (Schalke), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Sami Khedira, Toni Kroos (both Real Madrid), Christoph Kramer (Borussia Monchengladbach), Andre Schurrle (Chelsea); Mario Gomez (Fiorentina), Lukas Podolski (Arsenal).

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