Neu-Isenburg (dpa) – The start of the national soccer team in the World Cup year must initially take place without Joshua Kimmich.
The 27-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder did not travel to the DFB team’s meeting point at the team hotel in Neu-Isenburg on Monday, where the DFB selection is preparing for the upcoming international matches against Israel and in the Netherlands. According to information from the DFB, Kimmich and his partner are expecting their third child together these days.
“Jo is an absolute family man. The birth of a child is a very special moment in life. We hope that if everything goes well, he will be with us soon,” said national coach Hansi Flick in the DFB announcement. The national team will play their first friendly against Israel in Sinsheim on Saturday. The classic international match against the Netherlands takes place in Amsterdam three days later. Without Kimmich, the DFB squad initially consists of 24 players.
Kimmich had already missed the last two World Cup qualifiers in November 2021. At that time, after a corona infection from Bayern colleague Niklas Süle, he had to leave the DFB quarter as an unvaccinated contact person. The 64-time national player is a fixture in Flick’s plans for the World Cup at the end of the year.