Germany push back World Cup squad nomination and start of training

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann will announce his World Cup squad on May 21, nine days later than originally planned, and the start of the team training camp has also been pushed back by two days to May 27.

The new nomination date allows Nageslmann to have a final look at his candidates in the Bundesliga finale on May 16 and could also buy him time to decide whether currently injured players like Lennart Karl and Felix Nmecha will be fit to make the squad.

Delaying the start of training in Herzogenaurach from May 25 to 27 should, among other reasons, have to do with the German Cup final set for May 23. This is contested by Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart who are expected to have many players each in the World Cup squad.

However, Bayern players may arrive even later if the Bundesliga champions reach the Champions League final scheduled for May 30. That also applies for Arsenal's Germany forward Kai Havertz.

If they feature in the Champions League final they would also miss Germany's tune-up match against Finland on May 31.

The German team leaves for the United States, which hosts the World Cup together with Mexico and Canada, on June 2. A final test is planned for June 6 against the US in Chicago before Nagelsmann's team moves into their tournament base camp in Winston-Salem on June 8.

Germany's first World Cup match is on June 14 against debutants Curaçao and they then play Ivory Coast on June 20 and Ecuador on June 25.