Germany includes Bayern's young talents Lennart Karl and Jonas Urbig in squad for March internationals

The 18 year old Karl has impressed greatly for Bundesliga frontrunners Bayern this term, while his colleague Urbig has taken over as the teams primary goalkeeper after the injury to experienced Manuel Neuer.

Oliver Baumann remains Germanys preferred option in goal, so Urbig could act as backup for the World Cup, especially with Marc Andre ter Stegen still working back to peak condition and Neuer no longer playing for the national side.

He will not face excessive expectations from me. I simply want him to replicate his Bayern form and contribute the energy a youngster provides, Nagelsmann stated during Thursdays media briefing. The team heads to Switzerland on 27 March, followed by a home match against Ghana three days afterwards.

The coach warned that although the present lineup shares similarities with the one to be revealed in May for the World Cup, adjustments are expected.

This selection mirrors aspects of the May group, yet it is not the definitive World Cup roster, he explained.

Several seasoned stars were omitted by Nagelsmann, such as creative midfielder Jamal Musiala, who is recovering from a slight ankle issue stemming from last years fracture.

There is discomfort, which is typical post injury. Our priority is his readiness for Bayern matches to build match fitness for consideration. Given the situation, we are allowing ample recovery time.

The manager also brought back striker Deniz Undav, Germanys top league goalscorer with 16 strikes, alongside Kai Havertz, Anton Stach, Pascal Gross and Antonio Rudiger, among further additions.

After disappointing early departures from the group stages in 2018 and 2022, Germany is focused on claiming World Cup glory and reestablishing itself as a dominant force in world football. The event kicks off in June, jointly organised by Mexico, the United States and Canada.

Since securing their fourth world title in Brazil back in 2014, the Germans have yet to reach a final in any key competition. They are placed in Group E alongside Ecuador, Curacao and Ivory Coast for the competition spanning 11 June to 19 July.

Their initial fixture is in Houston, Texas, on 14 June versus Curacao. Next, they move to Toronto on 20 June for the clash with Ivory Coast, before concluding the group phase against Ecuador in New York on 25 June.