Europe: Teenager Julian Draxler gets Germany call-up

SCHALKE 04’s teenage midfielder Julian Draxler won a surprise call-up to Germany’s preliminary 27-man squad for Euro 2012 next month.

The uncapped 19-year-old made his Bundesliga debut just over a year ago and has been in sparkling form this season, helping Schalke clinch a third-place finish. Coach Joachim Loew said the final squad would be announced later this month, adding there would be some changes. Germany have been drawn in Group B in Ukraine and Poland along with Portugal, Denmark and the Netherlands - who named a 35-man squad yesterday. Bert Van Marwijk initially called up PSV Eindhoven’s Erik Pieters but the defender pulled out because tests showed he would not recover from a foot injury in time.

Germany squad: Goalkeepers: M Neuer (Bayern), T Wiese (Werder Bremen), R Robert Zieler (Hannover), M-A ter Stegen (Monchengladbach). Defenders: H Badstuber, J Boateng, P Lahm (all Bayern), B Howedes (Schalke), M Hummels, M Schmelzer (both Dortmund), P Mertesacker (Arsenal). Midfielders: S Bender, M Gotze, I Gundogan (all Dortmund), L Bender, A Schurrle (both Leverkusen), J Draxler (Schalke), T Kroos, T Muller, B Schweinsteiger (all Bayern), S Khedira, M Ozil (both Real Madrid), M Reus (Monchengladbach). Forwards: L Podolski (Cologne), C (Stuttgart), M Gomez (Munich), Miroslav Klose (Lazio).

Netherlands squad: Goalkeepers: M Stekelenburg (AS Roma), T Krul (Newcastle), M Vorm (Swansea), E Mulder (Feyenoord), J Cillissen (Ajax). Defenders: V Anita (Ajax), K Boulahrouz (VFB Stuttgart), W Bouma (PSV), Urby Emanuelson (AC Milan), J Heitinga (Everton), H Maduro (Valencia), J Mathijsen (Malaga), E Pieters (PSV), Nick Viergever (AZ), R Vlaar (Feyenoord), S de Vrij (Feyenoord), G van der Wiel (Ajax), J Willems (PSV). Midfielders: I Afellay (Barcelona), Mvan Bommel (AC Milan), N de Jong (Manchester City), A Maher (AZ), S Schaars (Sporting), W Sneijder (Inter), K Strootman (PSV), R van der Vaart (Tottenham), G Wijnaldum (PSV). Forwards: K-J Huntelaar (Schalke 04), O John (Twente), L de Jong (Twente), S de Jong (Ajax), D Kuyt (Liverpool), J Lens (PSV), L Narsingh (Heerenveen), R van Persie (Arsenal), A Robben (Bayern).