Havertz in, Werner out: How will Germany line up at the 2022 World Cup?

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
• 3 min read

Kai Havertz is set to lead the line for Germany at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar with his former teammate Timo Werner missing the tournament with injury.

Werner had five goals and an assist as four-time world champions Germany finished top of their UEFA qualifying Group J, but the former Chelsea striker - who returned to RB Leipzig for €20m this summer - has since badly injured his ankle.

Borussia Dortmund's 17-year-old prodigy Youssoufa Moukoko has been a headline-grabbing call-up in his stead, but Havertz will likely get the nod up front, having scored twice against England in Germany's final UEFA Nations League Group A3 game in September.

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Another youngster, and another former Chelsea star, in Jamal Musiala has been the talk of the Bundesliga in recent months and this season has had a hand in 22 goals from 22 games in all competitions. But his preferred position is at No.10, where Thomas Muller - the World Cup's top scorer among active players - should shake off a hip injury in time to play.

Musiala could line up either side of Muller, in which case one of Leroy Sane or Serge Gnabry would need to be sacrificed.

Further back, Joshua Kimmich has graduated from right-back to midfield metronome since the last World Cup in 2018, when Germany were knocked out at the group stage as champions. He should have Manchester City's Iklay Gundogan for company, although his Bayern clubmate Leon Goretzka is an alternative.

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How Germany could line up in Qatar

At the back, Antonio Rudiger and Niklas Sule should be first choice at central defence, although Sule's Dortmund clubmate Nico Schlotterbeck is on the rise. Rudiger hasn't been first-choice in the position since swapping Chelsea for Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer, but he retains Hansi Flick's faith.

Manuel Neuer is arguably the greatest goalkeeper of all-time, one who synthesised the sweeper-keeper goalkeeping style in and out of possession, and the Germany captain is one of the few players in world football who could keep Barcelona's Marc-Andre ter Stegen out of a team.

At full-back is where teams might feel they can get at Germany. Jonas Hofmann plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for his club, Borussia Monchengladbach, while David Raum has failed to impress since stepping up from Hoffenheim to Werner's current employers Leipzig at the start of the season.