Germany coach Hansi Flick sprang a few surprises in his latest squad with the inclusions of Marius Wolf, Mergim Berisha, Felix Nmecha, Josha Vagnoman and Kevin Schade.
bundesliga.com takes a closer look at the quintet and what they have to offer.
Mergim Berisha
Age: 24
Position: Forward
Club: Augsburg
Previous international experience: 13 caps/1 goal for Germany U21s
A late developer in footballing terms – this is his first senior call-up at the age of 24 – Berisha is likely not a name on most fans’ radars – but not for much longer. The striker cut his teeth in the game in Austria with Salzburg, where he hit four goals in six UEFA Champions League games, before joining Turkish giants Fenerbahce for a season in summer 2021 and then moving to Augsburg in August 2022.
The powerfully built 6’1″ forward already had plenty of top-level know-how at that point, having helped the Germany U21s win the European Championship in 2021, while he recently underlined his reputation as a man for the big occasion on Matchday 24, scoring twice against Bayern Munich to take his personal tally against the Bundesliga champions to five goals in four competitive meetings. With eight goals and four assists prior to Matchday 25 in the Bundesliga in 2022/23, it’s no wonder Flick wants a closer look.
