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The tragedy of Germany having so many great players in their talent pool is that there will inevitably be international-class players omitted from Low's final squad.

The Bundestrainer will call up 30 players initially and all will have a chance to prove themselves, but some will face a steep uphill climb if they are to survive the cut. This list was selected assuming there are no unfavored players who surprisingly dazzle Low before he makes his final selection.

Hamburg duo Rene Adler and Heiko Westermann, as well as HSV's loanee Dennis Aogo, are unlikely to make the cut. HSV's defense is the worst in the Bundesliga, while Marcell Jansen may well make the cut in part due to Germany's scarcity of qualified left-backs.

Aogo will make his return to training this month following cruciate ligament surgery, but Low will have already determined his left-backs.

Like Aogo, teammate Benedikt Howedes has been struck by injuries; the latter has barely played since early December. There is an alternative in Matthias Ginter who, despite his young age, has a considerable two-and-a-half years' experience as a professional.

Erik Durm is a final option for left-back, but the World Cup may come too soon for the 21-year-old. He was converted from forward only last summer and, despite some good recent performances, remains a risk.

If Low wants a physical, fast and tireless Dortmund attacker-turned-defender, Grosskreutz is the more reliable bet on either flank.

In midfield, Sven Bender is likely to miss out. He's been injured as of late and the fact that his twin brother, Lars, plays so similarly but with a bit more technical skill should see Sven miss out.

Lars' club mate, Sidney Sam, also is a doubt, his form at Leverkusen having waned after a strong start to the season. Assuming the likes of Muller, Ozil, Gotze, Reus, Schurrle and Podolski are fit, they should keep Sam out of the squad. The same goes for Julian Draxler, who has had a season to forget.

Germany's relative scarcity of top striker options is well known, but Low's squad may be especially thin this summer. Mario Gomez has hardly played this campaign due to a blight of injuries and won't play before season's end. A striker who thrives on rhythm, it's hard to see him making the squad.

Max Kruse has a much better chance of making the squad, and right now it's a toss-up between the 'Gladbach man and Lasogga.