Germany U21 updates | Nürnberg’s Tim Drexler and Dynamo Dresden’s Julian Pauli earn late call-ups | OneFootball

With Eintracht Frankfurt defender Nnamdi Collins still struggling with illness, Germany U21 head coach Antonio Di Salvo has opted to invoke his privilege to call up two more players for his team’s two qualifying matches.

No further call ups were planned despite the fact that three players departed camp injured this week. The fact that Collins might now mist both matches nevertheless forced Di Salvo’s hand.

FC Nürnberg fullback Tim Drexler and Dynamo Dresden centre-back Julian Pauli are on their way from the Germany U20s, who are actually not currently participating in the ongoing FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile. Neither Drexler nor Pauli (both 20) have been capped at U21 level before.

Di Salvo is already without Brighton’s Brajan Grada, Union Berlin’s Aljoscha Kemlein, and Hertha’s Linus Gechter. Eintracht Frankfurt fullback Elias Baum and Dynamo Dresden midfielder Kofi Amoako have been called up to replace Kemlein and Gechter.

Di Salvo explained his reasoning at a Thursday press event, explaining that missing too many players left him unable to run 11-aside training sessions. Collins remains eligible, but the squad still looks rather different than it did seven days ago.

The Full squad

Goalkeepers:

Dennis Seimen (SC Paderborn), Max Weiß (FC Burnley), Leon-Oumar Wechsel (GKS Tychy)

Defenders:

Hendry Blank (Hannover 96), Nnamdi Collins (Eintracht Frankfurt), Julian Pauli (Dynamo Dresden), Tim Drexler (1. FC Nürnberg), Leandro Morgalla (VfL Bochum), Joshua Quarshie (FC Southampton), Tom Rothe (Union Berlin), Elias Baum (Eintracht Frankfurt), Lukas Ullrich (Borussia Mönchengladbach)

Midfielders:

Noel Aseko Nkili (Hannover 96), Muhammmed Damar (TSG Hoffenheim), Said El Mala (1. FC Köln), Kofi Amoako (Dynamo Dresden), Mert Kömür (FC Augsburg), Paul Wanner (PSV Eindhoven), Tom Bischof (Bayern Munich), Assan Ouédraogo (RB Leipzig)

Forwards:

Ilyas Ansah (Union Berlin), Dzenan Pejcinovic (VfL Wolfsburg), Nicolo Tresoldi (Club Brugge), Nelson Weiper (Mainz 05)

GGFN | Peter Weis