Kimmich “surprised” by Flick’s squad selection

Joshua Kimmich was surprised by Hansi Flick’s decision to omit the likes of Niklas Süle, Leroy Sané and Antonio Rüdiger from his Germany squad.

Germany coach Hansi Flick has named six rookies in his squad for upcoming friendlies against Peru and Belgium, leaving out a number of experienced players.

This came as a surprise to Joshua Kimmich, who will captain the team in the absence of injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

“I was not surprised to see some new faces. I was more surprised that others weren’t there,” Kimmich told the Münchner Merkur/tz media group, naming Marco Reus, Thomas Müller, Ilkay Gündogan, Niklas Süle, Leroy Sané and Antonio Rüdiger.

“I would have expected to see the last three in particular.”

With Germany looking to bounce back after a disappointing World Cup in Qatar, Kimmich believes the upcoming friendlies are important.

“For me, it’s all about finding a rhythm. That we gain confidence in every game – also to build up a certain continuity. For me, these are no longer classic friendly or test matches. For me, every single one of them is a preparation game – and we have to win every single one of them,” the midfielder insisted.

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