Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter
Leroy Sane has been left out of Germany ’s World Cup 2018 squad for Russia 2018 by manager Joachim L ow , despite playing a major part in Manchester City ’s Premier League-winning campaign.
The 22-year-old, who this season was named PFA Young Player of the Year, scored 10 goals and provided 15 assists for City as they cruised to the Premier League title as well as the Carabao Cup, but Löw has not found space for him in his 23-man squad that will bid to successfully defend the World Cup in Russia.
The former Schalke winger missed last year’s Confederations Cup campaign in Russia in order to have an operation on his nose, with the decision believed to have not gone down well with Löw as he looked to develop the national team’s young players a year out from the World Cup.
World Cup 2018 official kitsShow all 51 1 /51World Cup 2018 official kits World Cup 2018 official kits World Cup 2018 kits The kits for the 2018 World Cup have started to be released ... but which one is your favourite?
Getty
World Cup 2018 official kits Russia home They say: A clean design in red and white, inspired by the 1988 USSR jersey. Our verdict: Literally cannot muster up the enthusiasm to write anymore words about this snorefest.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Russia away They say: A smart strip in white and blue with subtle geometric pattern. Our verdict: Now that’s more like it! Big mistake not making this the home kit in our ever so humble opinion.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Saudi Arabia home and away Both home and away kits yet to be released. Will be supplied by Nike. Will probably feature a bit of green.
AFP/Getty Images
World Cup 2018 official kits Egypt home They say: A ‘sleek and modern’ kit with sublimated check pattern on the front and white Adidas strips down the sides. Our verdict: Decent. Would make a nice Manchester United kit.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Uruguay home They say: A clean design in ‘silver lake blue’, with an ‘engineered jacquard graphic’ in the middle of the jersey. Our verdict: What’s Spanish for ‘horrific v neck’?
Puma
World Cup 2018 official kits Portugal home They say: The red base from Portugal’s Euro 2016 triumph is retained, with Nike introducing ‘gold-metallic trim’ and a green collar. Our verdict: Yup, it’s a template. But that doesn’t stop it from looking smart.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits Portugal away They say: An all-white design inspired by the country’s naval history. Our verdict: Cleaner than Kim Woodburn’s kitchen. Lovely stuff.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits Spain home They say: Made by Adidas and inspired by the classic 1994 home strip. Our verdict: GET IT ON MY TORSO NOW.
Getty Images
World Cup 2018 official kits Spain away They say: Another 1980s inspired kit. ‘Halo blue’ with bright orange trim. Our verdict: It’s … okay. Not a patch on that smashing home effort, mind.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Morocco home and away Both kits, to be produced by Adidas, are yet to be released.
Valery Sharifulin/TASS
World Cup 2018 official kits Iran home and away Same again – to be produced by Adidas but yet to be released. Hurry up lads!
Getty Images
World Cup 2018 official kits France home They say: A traditional look with blue jersey, white shorts and red socks. Our verdict: Another template. Another sexy kit. Damn you, Nike!
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits France away They say: White shirt, blue sleeves and white socks – with a distinct graphic print. Our verdict: Why couldn’t Nike have given this to England?! As smooth as Zinedine Zidane’s shiny bald head.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits Australia home and away Move along, nothing to see here. Nike’s Aussie kits are yet to be released.
Getty
World Cup 2018 official kits Peru home They say: The last ever Umbro kit for the country – Marathon Sports take over next year. Our verdict: You don’t get more traditional than this. A proper football kit for proper football men. You can shove your xG up your a***, etc.
Umbro
World Cup 2018 official kits Denmark home and away Yet to be released. But they’re to be manufactured by Hummel. So they’re bound to be good.
Action Plus via Getty Images
World Cup 2018 official kits Argentina home They say: A classic effort that draws inspiration from the 1993 Copa America strip, coincidentally the last time Argentina won a major title. Our verdict: A stylish strip befitting of little Leo Messi. Top drawer.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Argentina away They say: Black jerseys with neat white and blue trim, white shorts, black socks. Our verdict: Woof. Coming to a five-a-side court near you very soon.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Iceland home They say: An Errea produced kit which incorporates the traditional home colours of blue, red and white. Our verdict: Nice, if a little bit bargain basement.
Errea
World Cup 2018 official kits Iceland away They say: The reverse of the home shirt. Our verdict: Yes, we can confirm that this is the exact reverse of the home shirt.
Errea
World Cup 2018 official kits Croatia home They say: Nike offer a new interpretation of the team’s iconic checker design, with much larger checks than usual. Our verdict: Will look great on Luka Modric if he can keep himself out of prison long enough to wear it.
World Cup 2018 official kits Croatia away They say: The same template as the home shirt, but with a black and dark blue colour scheme. Our verdict: Very, very nice. A slightly gothic interpretation of the home shirt we all know and love. The football kit equivalent of Late Night Hollyoaks.
World Cup 2018 official kits Nigeria home They say: An eclectic combination of bright green, white and black in an especially bold design. Our verdict: Outstanding. Sensational. Sublime. The nicest kit at this year’s World Cup and destined to be worn at Boiler Room sessions from now until 2046.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits Nigeria away They say: A clean design in dark green with subtle zigzag print. Our verdict: Oh dear, clearly Nike used all their budget on the home shirt. About as exciting as a Songs of Praise marathon.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits They say: A traditional effort with subtle zigzag pattern. Our verdict: Why change a winning formula? Bright, bold and very much Brazil.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits Brazil away They say: Based on the same design as the home shirt. Royal blue with a unique star pattern covering the front. Our verdict: Yeah, fine, okay.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits Switzerland home and away Not released yet, soz.
Getty
World Cup 2018 official kits Costa Rica home and away The bad news: the kits haven’t been released yet. The good news: they’re being made by New Balance, so will be peng.
Getty Images
World Cup 2018 official kits Serbia away They say: White with red trim, with the nation’s flag running down the centre. Our verdict: Very difficult to criticise. But we'll have a go: the collar is a bit naff. Other than that, no complaints. Now be on your way, Serbia away.
Puma
World Cup 2018 official kits Germany home They say: White, black and inspired by the iconic 1990 strip. Our verdict: You’ve already seen this, and you already love it. If only it featured the colours of the German flag, though…
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Germany away They say: The first green German jersey since Euro 2012, inspired by the 1994 away effort. Our verdict: It's Adidas. It's green. It's great. Let me wear you, Germany away.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Mexico home They say: Manufactured by Adidas, featuring the country’s traditional green colour with white applications. Our verdict: Yum.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Mexico away They say: Draws inspiration from Mexico’s kits of the 1950s. White with a green, white and red chest stripe. Our verdict: Looks a bit like something Roger Federer would wear to win the Australian Open. And we’re very much okay with that.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Sweden home They say: The traditional yellow and blue, with a subtle jacquard pattern on the front. Our verdict: Nothing to write home about, to be honest. Unless you’re writing the solitary word ‘BORING’, that is.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Sweden away They say: Adidas claim the away kit features ‘a sleek design in blue and yellow’. Our verdict: That subtle pattern is very nice. One of the better ‘plain Jane’ kits to be worn in Russia.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits South Korea home They say: A classic red design with dark blue shorts and red socks. Our verdict: Boring. Plain. Routine. Run-of-the-mill. Humdrum, Dreary. Banal. Unoriginal. Spiritless. Insipid. Etc.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits South Korea away They say: Predominantly white, with a bold blue and red graphic print subtly inspired by a tiger pattern and the Taegeuk symbol. Our verdict: Much better, although it does look a bit like a crayon wielding toddler has been let loose on the new England shirt. Which nevertheless remains a huge improvement.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits Belgium home They say: A bold design that takes inspiration from the iconic 1984 top. Our verdict: Cracking. Atones for those atrocious Burrda efforts they’ve been palmed off with at the last few tournaments.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Belgium away They say: Yellow and black with a slight all-over graphic print. Our verdict: Yet another sublime Adidas away kit. *Wolfwhistles*
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Panama home and away Yet to be released.
AFP/Getty Images
World Cup 2018 official kits Tunisia home They say: White with red crew-neck collar and cuffs, and a dotted gradient graphic. Our verdict: If this football shirt was a British sporting personality, it would be Steve Davis.
Uhlsport
World Cup 2018 official kits Tunisia away They say: The Tunisia 2018 World Cup away shirt is red with white details. Our verdict: If this football shirt was a British sporting personality, it would be Steve Davis.
Uhlsport
World Cup 2018 official kits England home They say: Manufactured by Nike, with a white base with blue for logos and a modern knit pattern on the front. Our verdict: About as inspiring as Iain Duncan Smith. This country really is going to the dogs.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits England away They say: Red all over with a subtle St George’s Cross motif across the front. Our verdict: It’s red. It has a bit of a pattern thing going on across the front. We’ve already forgotten about it. Next.
Nike
World Cup 2018 official kits Poland home and away To be made by Nike, but yet to be released.
Getty
World Cup 2018 official kits Senegal home and away To be made by Puma, but yet to be released. IT'S TOO LATE FOR OUR POLL NOW, SENEGAL.
Getty
World Cup 2018 official kits Colombia home They say: Produced by Adidas with a traditional colour scheme, inspired by the iconic home shirts worn in the 1970s and 80s. Our verdict: Yessssssss. If it’s good enough for James Rodriguez it’s good enough for us.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Colombia away They say: Predominantly royal blue, with bright orange trim and a jazzy pattern down one side of the shirt. Our verdict: Very solid. Colombia right up there with Germany for the best pair of shirts in the business.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Japan home They say: According to Adidas: ‘the shirt’s bespoke look and graphic takes inspiration from traditional samurai armour’. Our verdict: Really lovely kit. Deserves better than the inevitable group stage exit.
Adidas
World Cup 2018 official kits Japan away They say: An understated all-white kit with subtle grey trim. Our verdict: Adidas deliver a top-draw kit yet again. A lovely way to round off the gallery. Thanks for reading!
Adidas
Sane’s omission comes as a major shock given that both Marco Reus and Mario Gomez feature, with the former suffering heavily from injuries in recent years after missing both the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 and the latter putting in an underwhelming season with Stuttgart.
Arsenal’s Mesut Özil is also included despite a below-par campaign with Arsenal, who finished sixth in the Premier League and failed to win any silverware that led to the departure of manager Arsene Wenger.
The Premier League contingent named in the squad is completed by Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger and Sane’s club teammate İlkay Gündoğan.
Along with Sane, goalkeeper Bernd Leno, defender Jonathan Tah and forward Nils Petersen were the unlucky quartet to be cut from Löw’s squad, although Julian Brandt proved to be another surprise inclusion given the number of wingers already in the side.
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer makes the cut after making his return to the national team in the weekend’s 2-1 defeat by Austria, having been sidelined since September after breaking a bone in his foot, and the captain set to remain as the first-choice No 1 ahead of Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Kevin Trapp of Paris Saint-Germain.
Joachim Low has left Leroy Sane out of his 23-man Germany squad for the World Cup
(Getty)
Germany's World Cup squad Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer, Kevin Trapp, Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Defenders: Marvin Plattenhardt, Jonas Hector, Matthias Ginter, Mats Hummels, Niklas Sule, Antonio Rudiger, Jerome Boateng, Joshua Kimmich.
Midfielders: Sami Khedira, Julian Draxler, Toni Kroos, Timo Werner, Mesut Ozil, Leon Goretzka, Sebastian Rudy, Julian Brandt, Ilkay Gundogan.
Forwards: Marco Reus, Thomas Muller, Mario Gomez
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies