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The cut down day for Joachim Löw has arrived and Leroy Sané (Manchester City), Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen), Nils Petersen (SC Freiburg), and Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen) were all dropped from the Germany squad. The Bayern Munich contingent of Thomas Müller, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Joshua Kimmich, Sebastian Rudy, Nikas Süle, Leon Goretzka, and Manuel Neuer all made it through the final selection.
A big thank you for their efforts and commitment from Joachim #Löw to the four players who won't be going to Russia, @Bernd_Leno, @jonatah, @LeroySane19 and Nils #Petersen #DieMannschaft #ZSMMN pic.twitter.com/ANUjXgOV6Y
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) June 4, 2018
Sané, who was a dynamic attacking force for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City this past season, was the biggest surprise of the roster cutdown. After racking up 14 goals and 17 assists across all competitions for Manchester City, it was thought by many that Sané had officially made the jump into being one of Germany’s rising stars and would subsequently make an impact for the squad this summer during the World Cup.
Löw: "I want to thank the players for their efforts. They all have added a value to this team!" #BestNeverRest pic.twitter.com/lyeftiW9hO
— Mercedes-Benz & Die Mannschaft (@mbfussball_en) June 4, 2018
The release of Tah was expected as he received no playing time in the friendly against Austria, while Petersen did little to help his cause, as he was one of the least impactful players on the pitch.
The final 23-man squad for the #WorldCup #DieMannschaft #ZSMMN pic.twitter.com/SOJa14wIOD
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) June 4, 2018
Leno was another curious cut as Löw opted to go with Paris Saint-Germain back-up Kevin Trapp. Trapp, who has been less than impressive when called into duty for Germany, likely won’t play anyway as the third option behind Manuel Neuer and Marc-André ter Stegen.