German Olympic squad named

Max Meyer and Julian Brandt have been named in Germany's squad for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro next month.

Brandt's Leverkusen teammate Lars Bender is also in the squad with his brother Sven of Borussia Dortmund and Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn.

Matthias Ginter, who was part of Germany's World Cup-winning squad in 2014, has also been included in the 18-man squad.

Schalke pair Meyer and Leon Goretzka are two of the most recognizable faces in the group, while Freiburg's Nils Petersen is named as one of three eligible over-23 players.

Leonardo Bittencourt, keeper Eric Oelschlägel, Christian Günter and Sebastian Kerk are on standby, should there be any injuries in the lead-up to the Games.

Germany will take on Mexico, South Korea and Fiji for a place in the knockout stages of the tournament, with the final on August 20.

No Borussia Mönchengladbach players were considered as they face Champions League qualifiers while Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius ruled himself out with the Premier League season already underway in mid-August. The Bundesliga begins on August 26.

"The anticipation before the Olympics is huge," said Germany men's coach Horst Hrubesch. "In the team, we have found a good mix of current U21 players and older players. The quality of the team is absolutely great despite the difficulties in selection."

Meanwhile, the women's squad for the Olympics includes six players who won the bronze medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Saskia Bartusiak, Simone Laudehr, Annike Krahn, Babett Peter, Anja Mittag and Melanie Behringer were all part of that group.

Germany's women side, who finished fourth at the World Cup in 2015, will meet Zimbabwe, Australia and Canada in the group phase. The final takes place on August 19.