Manuel Neuer to make Germany return after injury
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will make his return from injury when Germany face Austria in a World Cup warm-up in Klagenfurt, but Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller will not be risked.
Neuer missed almost the entire season after breaking his foot and undergoing surgery, but the Bayern Munich number one came through a practise match on Monday in which he shared playing time with Barcelona's Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
Barring another injury, Neuer will be the first choice goalkeeper for the reigning champions in Russia, with head coach Joachim Low naming his 23-man squad on Monday.
"Everything has gone to plan with Manuel Neuer," Low told a press conference on Friday. "He took part in every training session and hasn't experienced any problems. I'm planning for him to start in goal.
"Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller have had a lot of games with us, we know what to expect, which is why we're leaving them behind for the Austria game.
"Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira and Ilkay Gundogan didn't play much towards the end of their domestic campaigns and need to find their rhythm. This is a chance for them."
Asked about the task he faces in selecting his final squad, Low added: "I'm completely relaxed about it. Naturally we'll have heated discussions about it. It's not a nice feeling for us making the final decision.
"We consider the pros and cons, what could happen in a tournament and how we could fill the positions, then we make the decisions. I'll talk to the players on Monday morning then we have until midday to submit the squad to FIFA.
"Sometimes there are certain arguments for or against, sometimes it's a gut feeling. Obviously not being picked is disappointing for the individual players, their worlds collapse in a way when they're not chosen.
"Not everything depends on Saturday's game, but it will obviously influence the final decision. I plan to use all my substitutes, I might even make a change during the first half. The game itself isn't the be-all and end-all, though."
Germany will also face Saudi Arabia in a friendly in Leverkusen on June 8 before travelling to Russia, where they will contest Group F with Mexico, Sweden and South Korea.
Their first World Cup match is against Mexico on Sunday, June 17.