Five big players cut from Germany squad as coach Loew prepares for Nations League

Germany's coach Joachim Loew looks on before an international friendly soccer match (GERMANY - Tags: SPORT SOCCER WORLD CUP)

Germany coach Joachim Loew on Thursday cut five players from his squad to face Ukraine and Switzerland in the Nations League as he banks on the experience of returning Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig players.

Germany squandered the lead three times to settle for a 3-3 draw against Turkey on Wednesday, playing with a makeshift team as many players were rested.

It was the third game in a row that the Germans gave up a lead and ended up drawing. It was also the lowest in terms of TV audience figures in Loew’s 14 years in charge.

Benjamin Henrichs, Nico Schulz, Niklas Stark, Nadiem Amiri and Mahmoud Dahoud, who all played against the Turks, were dropped ahead of Saturday’s game in Ukraine and the home match against the Swiss three days later.

Loew will have Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Niklas Suele, Leon Goretzka and keeper Manuel Neuer back in his 23-man squad after they were rested along with Leipzig’s Marcel Halstenberg and Lukas Klostermann.

Germany's midfielder Julian Draxler (C) and Spain's defender Sergio Ramos vie for the ball during the UEFA Nations League football match between Germany and Spain in Stuttgart, southern Germany, on September 3, 2020. (Photo by Thomas KIENZLE / AFP)

Striker Timo Werner, who has recovered from an illness, will also return as will Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos.

“It will be very important to win the coming matches,” Loew said. “There we will obviously have a completely different team on the pitch (than against Turkey). Everyone is fired up and highly motivated to win.”