Germany head coach Joachim Low is considering a dramatic U-turn that would see Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels invited back to the national team.
With the delayed Euro 2020 finals coming up in June, Low wants Germany to be as strong as possible, and a 6-0 thrashing by Spain in November was a result that pointed to a need for a change in direction.
Low s own future has come in for scrutiny, and there have even been suggestions Bayern Munich s treble-winning boss Hansi Flick could replace him.
The 2014 World Cup-winning coach declared in March 2019 that it was time for Germany to move on from the old guard, stating that Muller, Hummels and Jerome Boateng – all world champions themselves – would no longer be part of his plans.
It was a decision that Muller at the time said left him dumbfounded , and Bayern were also critical, with all three players belonging to the Bavarian giants at that time.
Hummels has since moved on to Borussia Dortmund where the 32-year-old defender remains one of German football s star performers. Only Arminia Bielefeld s towering striker Fabian Klos (146) has won more balls in the air this season than Hummels (118) and just two players have made more blocks than his 22, taking all competitions into account.
Bayern midfielder Muller is one of only two players from the Bundesliga to reach doubles figures for goals and assists in all competitions this term, posting 13 and 12 respectively, with Dortmund s Jadon Sancho the other.
Special circumstances can justify an interruption in the upheaval, Low said in an interview with Kicker magazine.
On the specific matter of Hummels, Boateng and Muller, Low said: That will be a difficult and important question, also for me
The character of Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels is that they do not oppress others.
