Antonio di Salvo names seven uncapped players in Germany U21 squad

Germany U21 head coach Antonio di Salvo has included seven newcomers in his squad for the upcoming international break.

Jürgen Klopp’s decision to name two squads at once - 44 players in total - for Germany’s upcoming four fixtures in the extended international break was always going to cause a stir - both in the media and its knock-on effect for the U21s.

As such, seven newcomers have been named by di Salvo: Frank Feller, Noahkai Banks, Laurin Ulrich, Francis Onyeka, Wael Mohya, Louey Ben Farhat, and Paris Brunner have all received call‑up for the first time.

Noahkai Banks of Augsburg, who up to now had represented the USA's youth sides, is one of the seven newcomers hoping to make his debut. - IMAGO/Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON

Alongside those hoping to make their U21 debut are a few more established names, who themselves will be hoping for a call-up from Klopp in the not-so-distant future; amongst them the likes of Freiburg custodian Mio Backhaus, Stuttgart striker Dženan Pejčinović, and Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof, who himself was also named in the senior squad for the UEFA Nations League fixtures against Serbia in Munich on 1 October and against Greece in Thessaloniki on 4 October.

“Several factors influenced the composition of the current squad," said di Salvo at a press conference announcing his picks. "Alongside injuries, the expanded senior national team squad also played a role. I’m delighted for all current and former U21 players that they now have the chance to show themselves to the new national coach."

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Di Salvo and Co. will play three international fixtures over the coming weeks. First, they travel to Riga to face Latvia on 26 September, before heading to Malta on 30 September.

Then comes a return to home soil as they face Georgia in Arminia Bielefeld's SchücoArena on 6 October for their final game of qualifying for the 2027 UEFA European Under 21 Championship, which is to be hosted by Serbia and Albania.

Germany U21 squad

Goalkeepers
Mio Backhaus, Max Weiß, Frank Feller

Defenders
Elias Baum, Lukas Ullrich, Linus Gechter, Joshua Quarshie, Tom Rothe, Karim Coulibaly, Noahkai Banks

Midfielders
Tom Bischof, Arijon Ibrahimović, Noëll Aséko, Mert Kömür, Aljoscha Kemlein, Noah Darvich, Laurin Ulrich, Francis Onyeka, Wael Mohya, Louey Ben Farhat

Strikers
Nicolò Tresoldi, Dženan Pejčinović, Paris Brunner