Give youth a chance: Germany's Karl, Brown, Pavlovic in the spotlight

The indications are growing that Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann will have the courage to give youth a chance at the World Cup with the likes of Lennart Karl, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Nathaniel Brown.

Winger Karl is 18 and midfielder Pavlovic and left back Brown 22 each as they appear set to become starters in place of Leroy Sané (30), Leon Goretzka (31) and David Raum (28) although that trio has the experience of having played at big events before.

All three youngsters have impressed for their clubs Bayern Munich (Karl and Pavlovic) and Eintracht Frankfurt (Brown) lately and they also did well in Sunday's 4-0 win over Finland.

The list could also include Pavlovic's expected midfielder partner Felix Nmecha (25) from Borussia Dortmund who would also play his first big event.

Saturday's final tune-up match against the United States will be the final indication who Nagelsmann decides to trust for the starting XI when Germany start the World Cup on June 14 against Curaçao.

Kimmich backing

Choosing the youngsters would be a stunning turnaround from the qualifiers last autumn and further add to the youth of the team as it is often overlooked that long established Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are also only 23.

Captain Joshua Kimmich has encouraged Nagelsmann to make the gamble as he believes the youngsters can be a key for success.

"It is very, very important for us to have many young players on the pitch," Kimmich has said.

"The youngsters have no pressure. They don't have to shoulder responsibility. They can enjoy their game. That's exactly what we need. They can become important."

Ready for the task

At 31, Kimmich could be one of only three 30+ starters along with recalled goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (40) and centre back Jonathan Tah (30) in the line-up.

"Us youngsters, we are hungry. We want to show what we are capable of," Pavlovic has said.

The 2010 precedent

Nagelsmann could be encouraged by a look at the past when youngsters like Neuer, Thomas Müller, Mesut Özil, Toni Kroos and Jerome Boateng took the 2010 World Cup by storm, finishing third at the time and then winning the title in 2014.

Nagelsmann has praised Karl as a "street footballer" whom "you have to give freedom. He is already doing a lot of things right."

Karl has special skills just like Brown who is the fastest player in the squad and in autumn even managed to frustrate Spain superstar Lamine Yamal when Frankfurt played Barcelona in the Champions League.

"That was my best game up to now," Brown said.

Better ones could now follow, from him, from Karl, from Pavlovic, from Nmecha, on the world's biggest stage at the World Cup.