Germany boss Loew won't pick Bayern, Leipzig players for Nations League

Berlin - Germany host Spain on September 3 in Stuttgart, then play Switzerland on September 6 in Basel

 Germany head coach Joachim Loew said on Friday he will not select Bayern Munich or RB Leipzig players for next month's Nations League games to allow them to recover from their Champions League campaigns.

"I've already made up my mind that the internationals who are under heavy pressure due to the delayed end of the Bundesliga and the final tournament in Lisbon will not be called up for the September matches," Loew said Friday on the German FA website.

Germany host Spain on September 3 in Stuttgart, then play Switzerland on September 6 in Basel.
They will be without Bayern stars Manuel Neuer, the national team captain, Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka, all potential starters in Sunday's Champions League final against Paris Saint Germain.

RB Leipzig defenders Marcel Halstenberg and Lukas Klostermann, who bowed out with the German club in their semi-final defeat to PSG, will also be missing.

"The situation is the same for Julian Draxler and Thilo Kehrer, who play for Paris, but also (Bayern Munich pair) Leroy Sane and Niklas Suele" who have only recently just returned from injury," Loew added.

"Each of them has had a long period of injury, with phases during which they didn't play regularly, so they have to get back into a training and competition rhythm."
Loew said his priority is not the Nations League, where Germany also face Ukraine in their pool, but Euro 2020, which has been rescheduled for June-July 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"There we will need players who are still in a position to perform at their best," Loew added.