The man who is considered one of the few safe bets as a centre-forward for Germany has finally recovered and will be used by manager Joachim Low as the team's first alternative without question. Mario Gomez fell injured last summer during the Euros and he has been confirmed to feature in their next friendly match against Italy. Manager Joachim Low talked about the player's recovery process and how important he is for the squad.
Talking to reporters this Monday, Low said: "Mario got injured after Euro 2016 and that set him back a bit. He is a striker who is a great finisher. He has some incredible quality, with his left foot, his right foot and his head. He showed that at the Euros. He had a great year with Besiktas last season with a lot of goals and is on the right track at Wolfsburg as well. He is very important to us."
The coach also analyzed this Italian squad and compared it to the one they defeated at the Euros last summer: "Italy's team is not too different from the team we faced at Euro 2016. Italy have their own style of play, which they have been using for years. We expect a tactically strong Italy that will try to put us under pressure. They are capable of causing us problems with their attack. I think both teams will feel less pressure than during the Euros."
Photo credit: Die Mannschaft