The first international break of the season is approaching – and Kai Havertz is on the verge of his debut as a full international. The 19-year-old Bayer 04 pro has been called up by Germany coach Joachim Löw for the encounter in the UEFA Nations League next Thursday, 6 September, against World Cup winners France in Munich as well as for the friendly against Peru on the following Sunday, 9 September, in Sinsheim. As expected, Löw has also called up Julian Brandt and Jonathan Tah. For Havertz (above as captain of the Germany U19 team in the game against the Netherlands in March of this year), the youngest Bundesliga player of all times to clock up 50 appearances in the top flight, it is the next exciting step on the career ladder.
"We need a good balance of experience and youth. Kai Havertz, as did the two other newcomers Nico Schulz and Thilo Kehrer, showed his great talent last season," declared Löw at this afternoon's DFB press conference in Munich.Bayer 04 head coach Heiko Herrlich said: "We're very happy about the call ups for Julian, Jonathan and Kai. Our aim is to continue to have a lot of Germany internationals at Leverkusen. At the World Cup we only had one and now there are three. And they have absolutely deserved it."
Other Bayer 04 players will also be on international duty. Central defender Aleksandar Dragovic will first be in the Austria squad for the friendly on 6 September in Vienna against Sweden – with the Werkself striker Isaac Kiese Thelin – and then on 11 September for a Nations League game against Bosnia Herzegovina in Zenica. Sweden also have their second game in the Nations League on 10 September against Turkey in Solna. And Tin Jedvaj also has two games with World Cup runners-up Croatia: The first is a friendly against Portugal in Faro on 6 September before taking on Spain in the Nations League in Elche on 11 September.
Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, who is currently recovering from the after-effects of a jaw operation, will join the Finland squad who have two home games in the Nations League against Hungary in Tampere on 8 September and against Estonia on 11 September in Turku. Charles Aránguiz is in the Chile squad for two friendlies in Asia; on 7 September against Japan in Sapporo and on 11 September against South Korea in Busan.
Young pro Jakub Bednarczyk is in the Poland U 20 squad for two friendlies against Italy in Lodz on 6 September and against Switzerland on 10 September in Montreux. For the four nation U17 tournament on Schluchsee, forward Christopher Scott is in the Germany squad under coach Michael Feichtenbeiner for the games in Konstanz, Singen and Waldshut-Tiengen against the Netherlands, Israel and Italy. Two other Bayer 04 youngsters in Yannick Schlößer and Cem Türkmen are on standby.
After just two points from their last four games, the situation has become trickier for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the bottom third of the table. Only three points separate the Foals from the relegation play-off spot. Coach Eugen Polanski's team is under pressure ahead of the home game against the Werkself on Saturday, 7 February (kick-off: 18:30 CET). The lowdown on our next opponents.
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Another efficient performance from the Werkself in the 3-0 home win against FC St. Pauli saw them reach the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal for the third time in a row, and it was not the only record set on what was a successful evening. It meant head coach Kasper Hjulmand was delighted to "still be in with the chance of winning something". Like the coach, however, the ambitious Edmond Tapsoba also stated that he wanted to keep "improving" bit by bit: "We'll continue to give our all, no matter who we come up against." The Werkself review of the clash.
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