FIFA World Cup 2018: Germany drop Manchester City's Leroy Sane, include Manuel Neuer in final 23-man squad

Berlin: Germany have included 2014 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in their final squad for the 2018 tournament, even though he has only just returned from a long-term absence through injury. [caption id=“attachment_4495257” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Germany’s Leroy Sane in action during a training session. Reuters[/caption] But coach Joachim Loew omitted Manchester City striker Leroy Sane from his 23-player list despite a strong season with the Premier League champions. Bayern Munich goalkeeper Neuer made his first appearance since September in the 2-1 defeat by Austria in a friendly on Saturday. The 32-year-old who is considered key to Germany’s hopes of retaining the title had been sidelined for eight months after fracturing a metatarsal in his left foot last September in a recurrence of the same injury he suffered earlier in 2017. Sane was cut from the squad with Timo Werner and the veteran Mario Gomez included as just two out-and-out strikers. Germany 23-man squad: Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona/ESP), Kevin Trapp (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA) Defenders: Marvin Plattenhardt (Hertha Berlin), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Matthias Ginter (Moenchengladbach), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Niklas Suele (Bayern Munich), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea/ENG), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) Midfielders: Sami Khedira (Juventus/ITA), Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid/ESP), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal/ENG), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich), Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City/ENG), Leon Goretzka (Schalke 04), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund) Forwards: Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart)