Joachim Loew set to call up teenagers Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz to Germany squad for 2022 World Cup qualifiers

Berlin: Germany coach Joachim Loew confirmed Tuesday he plans to call up teenagers Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers. “I think you can already say that we are planning with both of them,” Loew told broadcaster RTL/NTV. Musiala, who has dual nationality, has opted to play senior football for Germany despite appearing for England Under-21s last November. The 18-year-old has broken into the Bayern squad this season and became the club’s youngest Champions League goal-scorer in last month’s 4-1 last 16, first leg win at Lazio. Wirtz, 17, has also impressed for Leverkusen and the pair are set to be called up to the senior Germany squad for the first time. On Friday, Loew will announce his squad for the qualifiers at home to Iceland (25 March), in Romania (28 March) and home to North Macedonia (31 March). “It will be good to see them for a few days with us, how they present themselves in our circle,” said Loew, who insisted there is no guarantee he will take either Musiala or Wirtz to the Euros. Due to Germany’s COVID-19 travel restrictions, Loew is unlikely to select Premier League stars such as Chelsea pair Timo Werner and Kai Havertz or Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan for the World Cup qualifiers. After 15 years as head coach of Germany, Loew will step down after this summer’s European Championship. Despite the impressive form of Thomas Mueller, Loew ruled out recalling the Bayern Munich star or Dortmund defender Mats Hummels for the this month’s internationals. Loew has been under increasing pressure to reverse his 2019 decision to end the international careers of Mueller, Hummels and fellow 2014 World Cup winner Jerome Boateng since Germany were thrashed 6-0 by Spain last November.