The omission of Mats Hummels from Germany was planned

Former Bayern Munich defender and current Borussia Dortmund star Mats Hummels did not get a call to Germany’s camp this week, but that omission was planned per Hansi Flick.

In an interview with the DFB website, Flick explained that Hummels is still battling an injury. While the veteran defender has continued to play for Dortmund through the pain, Flick did not see the benefit of adding more wear-and-tear to his ailment.

“I am in close contact with Mats. As he himself says, he is not yet at 100 percent,” Flick said. “It will do him good to use this international break to get even fitter. We agreed on that together.”

Even with the recent absences, Hummels still appears to be on Flick’s radar for a 2022 World Cup roster spot.

The loss of Niklas Süle due to COVID-19 during this set of international matches has Germany’s defense spread thin, even with the supplementary additions of defenders like Jonathan Tah and Ridle Baku.