Having been sidelined for three months with an ankle injury sustained in pre-season training, Mario Gomez has now been called up again by Germany head coach Joachim Löw to join the squad that will be facing France in an international friendly match scheduled to take place in Paris on Wednesday, 6 February 2013 (kick-off 9:00 pm, live on ARD). The FC Bayern Munich striker's last appearance in a national team shirt dates back to the EURO 2012 semi-final defeat against Italy in Warsaw on 28 June last year.
"Mario has overcome his injury, he's in top physical shape," says Löw, "and like Miroslav Klose, has everything it takes for a true target man to put our game plan into action. There is no doubt in my mind that with his quality and experience, he's going to hold his own at the highest international level, too."
Adler back in the fold
Hamburg goalkeeper René Adler is another returnee back in the national team fold. Having put Adler on the longlist for Germany's friendly against the Netherlands in Amsterdam last November, Löw now looks set to field the Leipzig-born keeper for the France match. Adler last kept goal for Germany in a 0-0 draw against Sweden on 17 November 2010.
"René Adler has had a brilliant Bundesliga season so far," comments Löw, "and has more than deserved this chance to shine. That said, Manuel Neuer remains our undisputed number one keeper and will be back between the posts for the decisive World Cup qualifiers beginning in March later this year."
Holger Badstuber still on sick leave
Basically, Joachim Löw's squad of 23 players for Germany's first match in the new year features all of the tried-and-tested personnel, with the exception of centre back Holger Badstuber who's still in the early stages of rehabilitation after sustaining an ACL rupture in early December.
Says Löw: "It's good to see that all of my players, including the ones with clubs abroad, have come out very well of the winter break, so I think that even if this match comes early in the year, we have a pretty strong squad at our disposal. And strength is what we need to meet eye-to-eye with an opponent of the calibre of France. They have definitely overcome their weak phase and have reclaimed their position among the top teams globally, not least thanks to outstanding players like Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema. I was impressed by the performance they put in against Spain and Italy away. It is obvious that this team bears Didier Deschamps's signature. I especially like his attack-minded outlook on the game. And while this match in Paris is 'only' a friendly, we greatly look forward to it as it'll show us where we stand – just the right kind of challenge at the beginning of a year where directly qualifying for Brazil 2014 comes top of our agenda."
[bild1]
Having been sidelined for three months with an ankle injury sustained in pre-season training, Mario Gomez has now been called up again by Germany head coach Joachim Löw to join the squad that will be facing France in an international friendly match scheduled to take place in Paris on Wednesday, 6 February 2013 (kick-off 9:00 pm, live on ARD). The FC Bayern Munich striker's last appearance in a national team shirt dates back to the EURO 2012 semi-final defeat against Italy in Warsaw on 28 June last year.
"Mario has overcome his injury, he's in top physical shape," says Löw, "and like Miroslav Klose, has everything it takes for a true target man to put our game plan into action. There is no doubt in my mind that with his quality and experience, he's going to hold his own at the highest international level, too."
Adler back in the fold
Hamburg goalkeeper René Adler is another returnee back in the national team fold. Having put Adler on the longlist for Germany's friendly against the Netherlands in Amsterdam last November, Löw now looks set to field the Leipzig-born keeper for the France match. Adler last kept goal for Germany in a 0-0 draw against Sweden on 17 November 2010.
"René Adler has had a brilliant Bundesliga season so far," comments Löw, "and has more than deserved this chance to shine. That said, Manuel Neuer remains our undisputed number one keeper and will be back between the posts for the decisive World Cup qualifiers beginning in March later this year."
Holger Badstuber still on sick leave
Basically, Joachim Löw's squad of 23 players for Germany's first match in the new year features all of the tried-and-tested personnel, with the exception of centre back Holger Badstuber who's still in the early stages of rehabilitation after sustaining an ACL rupture in early December.
[bild2]
Says Löw: "It's good to see that all of my players, including the ones with clubs abroad, have come out very well of the winter break, so I think that even if this match comes early in the year, we have a pretty strong squad at our disposal. And strength is what we need to meet eye-to-eye with an opponent of the calibre of France. They have definitely overcome their weak phase and have reclaimed their position among the top teams globally, not least thanks to outstanding players like Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema. I was impressed by the performance they put in against Spain and Italy away. It is obvious that this team bears Didier Deschamps's signature. I especially like his attack-minded outlook on the game. And while this match in Paris is 'only' a friendly, we greatly look forward to it as it'll show us where we stand – just the right kind of challenge at the beginning of a year where directly qualifying for Brazil 2014 comes top of our agenda."
Negative record against France
From a total of 24 matches played against the Equipe Tricolore, Germany have lost eleven, drawn seven, and won six, with a curiously balanced goal difference of 40 goals for, 40 against. Germany last celebrated victory over France in Paris in 1987 when Rudi Völler scored twice, with Eric Cantona pulling one back for the hosts.
March 2013 will ring in the series of second-leg matches in Germany's 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, with two games in close succession against Kazakhstan, whom Germany will meet in Astana on 22 March, only to host them in Nuremberg four days later.
