Florian Wirtz is back in the Germany squad ahead of their UEFA Nations League semi-final at home to Portugal in Munich on Wednesday night.

The Bayer Leverkusen man, who is at the centre of one of the biggest transfer stories of the summer due to interest from Liverpool, was not in the squad that beat Italy back in March, but his return is well-timed, given Jamal Musiala's absence with injury.

Wirtz should take Musiala's place behind the striker, but the other three attacking positions could go anywhere, with injuries denying Julian Nagelsmann the chance to field his strongest XI.

There is proof that Tim Kleindienst is now part of that strongest XI, but he is missing due to injury, along with fellow strikers Jonathan Burkardt and Kai Havertz, who has not been risked following his recent lengthy layoff.

Injury is rife across the pitch for Germany, because Nagelsmann has also seen Nadiem Amiri, Angelo Stiller and Yann Bisseck withdraw from the squad this week, with the latter sustaining a nasty-looking setback during the Champions League final at the weekend.

Nico Schlotterbeck and Antonio Rudiger are also missing, so there is a place in the centre of defence up for grabs alongside Jonathan Tah, with Waldemar Anton possibly the most likely to take it.

There is another big name returning though, and it is between the sticks, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen should make his first Germany appearance in almost a year, after spending the majority of the season out with a serious knee injury.

Joshua Kimmich should start as a hybrid right-back in what would be his 100th appearance for Die Mannschaft, but it was his work in the final third that caught the eye against Italy, as he had a hand in all five goals across the two legs - scoring one and assisting four.

There could be two debuts in the German ranks this week too, as Bayern-bound Tom Bischof and lanky Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade are in the squad for the finals.

Germany possible starting lineup:
Ter Stegen; Kimmich, Tah, Anton, Mittelstadt; Gross, Goretzka; Gnabry, Wirtz, Sane; Undav

Click here to see how Portugal could line up for this semi-final.

Written by
Andrew Delaney