Germany vs Japan World Cup lineup, confirmed starting 11s for Group E match at Qatar 2022

David Lynch

Germany vs Japan World Cup lineup, confirmed starting 11s for Group E match at Qatar 2022 image

Second in command to Joachim Low in 2014, Hansi Flick knows exactly what it takes to lead a Germany team to World Cup success.

However, this time the 57-year-old is aiming to repeat the trick as the main man in the dugout having taken charge of his country 18 months ago.

The Germans turned to Flick after a disastrous 2018 campaign saw them dumped out in the group stages and he had just led Bayern Munich to a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble.

He will be hoping for a strong start to his first World Cup campaign as national team boss against Japan on Wednesday.

Below are the projected lineups for both teams.

MORE: Germany vs. Japan live: World Cup score, highlights, result from 2022 Group E match

Germany vs Japan lineups

Flick made no attempt to hide just how big a blow the loss of Leroy Sane to a knee injury is for Germany when speaking ahead of their opening game.

"It is extremely bitter to have to play without Leroy because with his qualities he is a player who can turn a game around by himself," he said.

"Hopefully he can play on Sunday [against Spain]. The whole medical staff are working on it."

The 26-year-old has scored 11 times in 48 caps for his country and is sure to be key to their hopes of going deep in the tournament.

MORE: When is Germany vs Japan at FIFA World Cup? Updated TV schedule, time, odds

Germany confirmed starting 11

(4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Neuer (GK) — 23. Schlotterbeck, 15. Sule, 2. Rudiger, 3. Raum — 6. Kimmich, 21. Gundogan — 14. Musiala, 10. Gnabry, 13. Muller – 7. Havertz

  • Injured: Sane
  • Suspended: none

With Sane out of the opener due to a knee injury, Flick has combined Thomas Muller and Kai Havertz as part of his attack.

Borussia Dortmund centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck, 22, starts in defence in his first senior appearance at a finals tournament.

Japan confirmed starting 11

(4-3-3, right to left): 12. Gonda (GK) — 19. Sakai, 4. Itakura, 16. Yoshida, 5. Nagatomo — 7. Tanaka 6. Endo, 14. Ito — 15. Kamada 18. Kubo, 10. Maeda

  • Injured: none
  • Suspended: none

Wataru Endo (head) returns to action for Japan but there is no place in the starting lineup for Monaco attacker Takumi Minamino or Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma, who was thought to have recovered from an injury he suffered shortly before the start of the finals.

Midfielder Hidemasa Morita is not risked having only just overcome a calf problem, meaning Gaku Shibasaki gets the nod instead.

Germany vs Japan World Cup squads

Here are the 26 names on each team's squad lists at the World Cup in Qatar:

Germany

Position No. Player Club Age Caps
GK 1 Manuel Neuer Bayern Munich (GER) 36 114
GK 22 Marc-Andre ter Stegen Barcelona (SPA) 30 30
GK 12 Kevin Trapp Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) 32 6
DEF 25 Armel Bella-Kotchap Southampton (ENG) 20 2
DEF 4 Mattias Ginter SC Freiburg (GER) 28 47
DEF 20 Christian Gunter Freiburg (GER) 29 7
DEF 5 Thilo Kehrer West Ham (ENG) 26 23
DEF 16 Lukas Klostermann RB Leipzig (GER) 26 19
DEF 3 David Raum RB Leipzig (GER) 24 12
DEF 2 Antonio Rudiger Real Madrid (SPA) 29 54
DEF 23 Nico Schlotterbeck Borussia Dortmund (GER) 22 6
DEF 15 Niklas Sule Borussia Dortmund (GER) 27 42
MID 17 Julian Brandt Borussia Dortmund (GER) 26 39
MID 8 Leon Goretzka Bayern Munich (GER) 27 44
MID 21 Ilkay Gundogan Manchester City (ENG) 31 63
MID 11 Mario Gotze Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) 30 63
MID 18 Jonas Hofmann B. Monchengladbach (GER) 30 17
MID 6 Joshua Kimmich Bayern Munich (GER) 27 71
MID 14 Jamal Musiala Bayern Munich (GER) 19 17
MID 13 Thomas Muller Bayern Munich (GER) 33 118
MID 19 Leroy Sane Bayern Munich (GER) 26 48
FWD 26 Youssoufa Moukoko Borussia Dortmund (GER) 17 1
FWD 24 Karim Adeyemi Borussia Dortmund (GER) 20 4
FWD 9 Niclas Fullkrug Werder Bremen (GER) 29 1
FWD 10 Serge Gnabry Bayern Munich (GER) 27 36
FWD 7 Kai Havertz Chelsea (ENG) 23 31

Japan

Position No. Player Club Age Caps
GK 1 Eiji Kawashima Strasbourg (FRA) 39 95
GK 12 Shuichi Gonda Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) 33 34
GK 23 Daniel Schmidt Sint-Truiden (BEL)  30 11
DEF 5 Yuto Nagatomo Tokyo (JPN) 36 138
DEF 22 Maya Yoshida Schalke (GER) 34 122
DEF 19 Hiroki Sakai Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN)  32 72
DEF 16 Takehiro Tomiyasu Arsenal (ENG) 23 29
DEF 2 Miki Yamane Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 28 15
DEF 3 Shogo Taniguchi Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) 31 14
DEF 4 Kou Itakura Borussia Monchengladbach (GER) 25 13
DEF 26 Hiroki Ito Stuttgart (GER) 23 6
MID 7 Gaku Shibasaki Leganes (SPA) 30 60
MID 6 Wataru Endo Stuttgart (GER) 29 43
MID 10 Takumi Minamino Monaco (FRA) 27 44
MID 14 Junya Ito Reims (FRA) 29 38
MID 8 Ritsu Doan Freiburg (GER) 24 29
MID 15 Daichi Kamada Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) 26 22
MID 11 Takefusa Kubo Real Sociedad (SPA) 21 20
MID 13 Hidemasa Morita Sporting (POR) 27 17
MID 17 Ao Tanaka Fortuna Dusseldorf (GER) 24 15
MID 9 Kaoru Mitoma Brighton (ENG) 25 9
MID 24 Yuki Soma Nagoya Grampus (JPN) 25 8
FWD 18 Takuma Asano Bochum (GER) 27 37
FWD 21 Ayase Ueda Club Brugge (BEL) 24 11
FWD 25 Daizen Maeda Celtic (SCO) 25 8
FWD 20 Shuto Machino Shonan Bellmare (JPN) 23 4

David Lynch

David Lynch Photo

David Lynch is a freelance football journalist primarily covering Liverpool FC. He has reported on the the Reds for over a decade for publications such as the Sunday Mirror and Evening Standard, carving out a reputation as a trusted voice on all things Anfield in the process. Having followed Liverpool across England and Europe over the course of his career, David has filed from illustrious venues such as Camp Nou, the Allianz Arena and the Estadio do Dragao, as well as from multiple Champions League finals.