Barlin: With Manuel Neuer confirmed as his new captain, Joachim Loew plans to blood Germany’s next generation as his team prepares to defend their World Cup title in Russia. Germany’s journey to the 2018 finals starts on Sunday at Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadium in their qualifier against Norway.

Since winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, head coach Loew has lost experienced veterans in form of Philipp Lahm, Miroslav Klose, Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and now Bastian Schweinsteiger , each of whom made more than 100 appearances for Germany. But Germany’s next crop of talent comprising Hoffenheim defender Niklas Suele, Schalke 04’s Max Meyer and Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt all in their twenties are knocking the national team door. “They did well. You could see that we were taking a look at the future,” said Loew.