Loew recalls Ozil for Germany double-header
Real Madrid's Mesut Ozil has made an expected return to the Germany squad announced by Joachim Loew for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifier against Austria and the friendly against Poland.
Real Madrid's Mesut Ozil has made an expected return to the Germany squad announced by Joachim Loew for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifier against Austria and the friendly against Poland.
Ozil was rested for the recent 3-2 friendly win against Brazil but leads a 23-man squad that will face Austria in Gelsenkirchen on September 2 knowing a win will secure the top spot in Group A and qualification for next year's finals.
Ozil's Real Madrid team-mate Sami Khedira is out with an adductor injury, but the Hannover goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler has been called up for the first time, while Werder Bremen defender Per Mertesacker returns.
The Germany squad will get together in Dusseldorf on Monday, and after facing Austria they will fly out to Poland for the friendly in Gdansk on September 6.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover)
Defenders: Jerome Boateng, Holger Badstuber (both Bayern Munich), Benedikt Hoewedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Christian Traesch (Wolfsburg), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund)
Midfielders: Sven Bender, Mario Goetze (both Borussia Dortmund), Toni Kroos, Thomas Mueller (both Bayern Munich), Lukas Podolski (Cologne), Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid), Marco Reus (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Simon Rolfes, Andre Schurrle (both Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Miroslav Klose (Lazio/ITA)