Janis Blaswich, Marvin Ducksch earn first Germany call-ups, Jamal Musiala misses out

Die Mannschaft will continue their preparations ahead of hosting Euro 2024 with friendly fixtures against Turkey in Berlin on November 18 and Austria in Vienna three days later.

New head coach Julian Nagelsmann has named a 27-strong squad for the double-header, and 32-year-old shot-stopper Blaswich has been included in the first-team fold for the first time following his emergence as Leipzig's new number one.

Born in Willich, Blaswich began his career with Borussia Monchengladbach, but he never made a senior appearance in seven years with the club and instead had loan spells in the lower divisions with Dynamo Dresden and Hansa Rostock.

Blaswich then spent four years in the Netherlands with Heracles Almelo before returning to his native Germany to join Leipzig in July 2022, and he made his Bundesliga debut a month later.

In the absence of injured first-choice goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, Blaswich kept 13 clean sheets in 37 appearances for Leipzig across all competitions last season, and has since kept a Bundesliga-high five shutouts from 10 games this term.

Blaswich has retained the No.1 jersey despite the return to fitness of Gulacsi, and his first-team performances have been rewarded with a maiden international call-up to the Germany squad.

The inclusion of Blaswich comes after 117-cap Manuel Neuer revealed earlier this week that he would not be involved in the upcoming international squad due to "medical reasons" having only just recovered from a broken leg following 10 months on the sidelines.

The second fresh face in Nagelsmann's squad is 29-year-old striker Ducksch, who has excelled in front of goal for Werden Bremen over the last few years.

Indeed, the Dortmund-born striker has contributed with 16 goals and 11 assists in 44 Bundesliga appearances since helping Bremen secure promotion in 2022, recording four goals and four assists in 10 top-flight games so far this season.

Ducksch has never represented Germany at senior level, but he has previously played for his country at youth level, ranging from the Under-15s up to the Under-18s set-up, with his last appearance for the latter taking place in 2012.

Elsewhere in Nagelsmann's squad, Borussia Dortmund's Felix Nmecha, Leipzig's Benjamin Henrichs and FC Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry have all returned to the senior set-up, but Bayern's Jamal Musiala misses out after sustaining a hamstring injury in Wednesday's Champions League win over Galatasaray.

Union Berlin's Robin Gosens was initially called up to Nagelsmann's squad, but has since withdrawn is as he is soon expecting the birth of his second child, so Leipzig's David Raum has taken his place.

Newly-appointed captain Ilkay Gundogan unsurprisingly retains his place in the squad, and the Barcelona captain is one of six players who plies their trade outside of Germany at club level along with teammates Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger, AC Milan's Malick Thiaw, Brighton & Hove Albion's Pascal Gross and Arsenal's Kai Havertz.

Bayern's Thomas Muller is Germany's most-capped player in Nagelsmann's squad having made 125 appearances, while Stuttgart's Chris Fuhrich and Bayer Leverkusen's Robert Andrich remain involved in the senior set-up after earning their maiden call-ups last month, and the duo will be hoping to make their debuts next week.

Germany's 27-man squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Janis Blaswich (RB Leipzig), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Defenders: Benjamin Henrichs (RB Leipzig), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Niklas Sule (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen), Malick Thiaw (AC Milan)

Midfielders: Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Chris Fuhrich (Stuttgart), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Pascal Gross (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona), Kai Havertz (Arsenal), Jonas Hofmann (Bayer Leverkusen), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich), Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)

Forwards: Marvin Ducksch (Werder Bremen), Niclas Fullkrug (Borussia Dortmund), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)