Low open to Kuranyi discussions

Posted Sunday, April 11, 2010 by FIFA.com

Kevin Kuranyi's chances of returning to the Germany squad have been given a boost after coach Joachim Low revealed the issue would be on the agenda at a meeting of technical staff next week.

Kuranyi has not figured for Germany since he walked away from the squad at half-time of their FIFA World Cup qualifier with Russia in October 2008 after being left out of the 18-man matchday squad.

Low vowed the Schalke player would "never play for Germany again as long as I remain coach," but his excellent form this season has created a clamour of support for him to be reinstated.

Low has dodged the issue recently, but he told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper today that he will now consider a change of heart. "We three coaches (Low, Hans-Dieter Flick and Andreas Kopke) and Urs Siegenthaler (chief scout) are going to meet for three days from Monday in the Black Forest to discuss many things, including personnel," he said. "We will certainly talk about Kuranyi because Kuranyi is a current issue. We will discuss it."

Banging at the door of inclusion
Kuranyi currently leads the Bundesliga scoring charts with 18 goals this season and this may be enough for him to find his way back into the squad, particularly since the likes of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, who would otherwise seem certainties to travel to South Africa, are struggling for form.

And Low has promised to make his decision known before he names his squad for the FIFA World Cup. "Now is not the time to talk about it in public," he said. "We are discussing things internally and will make our decision known in time. We will do that with all of our players, but clearly a decision over Kuranyi will be made before May 6. That means, not on the very day we name our squad."

Low will name a preliminary squad for the FIFA World Cup on 6 May, although he then has one more month before having to hand his official list of 23 players to FIFA.

It is expected he will name a slightly larger squad early next month and then drop a few players after taking a close look at them during two training camps in Italy prior to the departure for South Africa on 6 June.