Schmelzer cut from Germany squad

Joachim Loew has cut Kevin Volland, Shkodran Mustafi and Marcel Schmelzer from his Germany squad for the 2014 World Cup, the DFB announced on Monday.

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The decision, that comes after the 2-2 draw with Cameroon on Sunday, means that the players struggling with injuries -- Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Manuel Neuer -- will travel to Brazil.

Loew said: "Of course, Shkodran, Marcel and Kevin are very disappointed. They had high hopes to be part of the Brazil squad. [Assistant coach] Hans Flick and I have personally informed the players.

"All three of them still have the chance to play big tournaments in the future."

While the omission of Mustafi is not considered surprising, Hoffenheim attacker Volland and Dortmund left-back Schmelzer had been expected to make the cut.

Schmelzer has endured a difficult training camp, in which he was limited to individual sessions because of ongoing knee problems.

The defender could be replaced at left-back by his Dortmund teammate Erik Durm, who won his first cap against Cameroon following only 19 Bundesliga and seven Champions League appearances on Sunday night.

With Volland out of the squad, Germany have only one dedicated striker in their squad in Mirsolav Klose. The veteran attacker, who has scored 14 World Cup goals, did not take part in the Cameroon match.

Head coach Loew, who had first played Mario Goetze and then Thomas Mueller in central attack, later explained that the Lazio attacker had "fallen in a hole" after the training camp, and therefore needed a rest.

Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler also made the squad despite competition from the likes of Lukas Podolski, Andre Schuerrle and Marco Reus on his position in left midfield.

"I am 100 percent convinced of those players," Loew said. "We have the right mix of many young and highly talented players, as well as players with a lot of experience from previous tournaments.

"We have two players for every position. Our players have character, the team has character. We go to Brazil with confidence. We have big goals."

Germany World Cup squad:

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover 96).

Defenders: Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm (both Bayern Munich), Benedikt Hoewedes (FC Schalke 04), Matthias Ginter (SC Freiburg), Kevin Grosskreutz, Mats Hummels, Erik Durm (all Borussia Dortmund), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal).

Midfielders: Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski (both Arsenal), Andre Schuerrle (Chelsea), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos, Thomas Mueller, Mario Goetze, Bastian Schweinsteiger (all Bayern Munich), Julian Draxler (FC Schalke 04), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Christoph Kramer (Borussia Moenchengladbach).

Attack: Miroslav Klose (Lazio).