BERLIN (AP) Germany coach Joachim Loew is giving captain Bastian Schweinsteiger every chance to prove his fitness for the European Championship despite the Manchester United midfielder's knee injury.
The 31-year-old Schweinsteiger, who hasn't played since a partial ligament tear in national team training on March 22, was named Tuesday in Loew's preliminary squad of 27 players for the tournament in France, along with surprise inclusions Julian Weigl of Borussia Dortmund, Julian Brandt of Bayer Leverkusen and Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich.
The young midfielders have all been rewarded with their first Germany call-ups after breakthrough seasons with their respective clubs.