Germany are taking 17-year-old striker Youssoufa Moukoko to the World Cup, but Borussia Dortmund team-mates Marco Reus and Mats Hummels missed out.
German coach Hansi Flick has chosen his 26-man squad for the Qatar match, rewarding Mukoko for scoring six goals and scoring four in 13 Bundesliga games this season. Mukoko is the youngest player to reach 10 Bundesliga goals in his career. Last season, he became the youngest player in the league.
"He gave the team a lot. He's fast, he's flexible," Flick said. "We're looking forward to him."
Werder Bremen striker Niklas Fulkruger has once again been unexpectedly called up to fill the void left by Timo Werner's injury. Fulkruger has scored 10 goals in 13 Bundesliga games this season.
"The momentum is on his side," Flick said of Füllkrug, who played in the second division last season, and has yet to play for Germany.
Before Flick named his team, he referred to the human rights situation in Qatar and recent homophobic remarks by World Cup ambassador former Qatari player Khalid Salman.
"It left us speechless and dumbfounded," Flick said of the comments. "It's just happened in the last few days. On the one hand, as the DFB and players have a clear focus on sport, yes, this is very important, but of course we must also address the human rights situation in Qatar. We have to keep our eyes and ears open there.
Flick said there was no doubt about focusing on football and ignoring all other issues. Addressing these issues, he said, is the team's "job."
"We don't want to hide, but we want to draw attention to abuses when they happen," Flick said. "When we're there, we still have influence, and that's why I think it's clear we do that too." That's what the DFB stands for and what the team stands for. Some players have already solved this problem, so I think we are on the right track.
Once again, Royce missed a major event. The Borussia Dortmund captain has struggled to recover from an ankle injury in the Ruhrderby win over Schalke in September. Reus has since made two brief appearances but complained of increased pain last weekend.
"Me and everyone else have to take it," Royce wrote on Instagram. "One of my big dreams was shattered."
Reuss missed Germany's World Cup victory in 2014 due to an ankle injury in the warm-up match, and a groin injury prevented him from participating in the 2016 European Championships. He played for Germany at the 2018 World Cup, but skipped the next European Championship after his season at Dortmund.
"It hurts us all," Flick said of Royce's absence.
Hummels has had a good season but he is also vulnerable to injuries and Flick is clearly doubtful the centre-back can handle a month-long campaign.
"We decided to give the young players a chance," Flick said.
Bayern Munich's players are once again playing an important role in the squad – goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and midfielders Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka and Thomas Müller.
Mario Götze, who scored the World Cup winning goal in the 2014 final against Argentina, returned to the team after a long absence. Goetze has returned to his best form since returning to the Bundesliga at Eintracht Frankfurt.
"If you look at his last game, they were at a high level," Flick said. "He's a smart player and a great guy.
Germany will play their final warm-up match against Oman in Muscat on Tuesday. The team's first match at the World Cup will be against Japan on November 23. Spain and Costa Rica are also in Group E.
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Germany:
Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-André Ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Defenders: Tillo Keller (West Ham), David Raum (Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Niklas Soule (Borussia Dortmund), Matthias Günter (Freiburg), Nico Schlottbeck (Dortmund), Lucas Klostermann (Leipzig), Christian Günter (Freiburg), Amel Bella Kochap (Southampton)
Midfielders: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Leon Gorecka (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich), Ilkai Gundogan (Manchester City), Jonas Hoffmann (Borussia Monchengladbach), Mario Goetze (Eintracht Frankfurt), Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Havertz (Chelsea)
Forwards: Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich), Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund), Niklas Fulkruger (Werder Bremen), Yousefa Mukoko (Dortmund)