Germany coach Joachim Loew has rested Mesut Ozil (left) for tomorrow's friendly against France while recalling Mario Gomez


DPA/Berlin


Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo gets a rest and Dutch Robin van Persie not picked but there will still be plenty of attention on forwards in international friendlies, with Germany’s Mario Gomez recalled and Jamie Vardy hoping for a first England goal.
World champions Germany go to Euro 2016 hosts France tomorrow before taking on surprisingly not qualified Netherlands on Tuesday as the top teams gear up for the continental tournament with big-name games.
England play at two-time defending champions Spain before hosting France, new world ranking leaders Belgium measure themselves with Italy and the two-time reigning Euro champions Spain, and the Dutch visit Gareth Bale’s Wales in their other game.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, gets a rest for Portugal’s dates with 2018 World Cup hosts Russia and minnows Luxembourg.
Germany coach Joachim Loew is also resting some men, such as Ronaldo’s Real Madrid teammate Toni Kroos and Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil.
Instead, he has called up Gomez again as the 60-times capped striker has rediscovered his form since a summer move to Besiktas and could help make the world champions more efficient again in front of goal after some wasteful showings during the Euro campaign.
“When Mario is fit and playing regularly, has his rhythm and self-confidence then he can be valuable for any team, of course for us as well,” Loew said of Gomez who hasn’t played for his country in 14 months.
Loew, who misses false strikers Marco Reus and Mario Goetze with injury, has also called up attacking Schalke teenager Leroy Sane for the first time as he Loew wants “to test a few variations”.
Germany beat France in their last meeting, 1-0, in the World Cup quarter-finals in Rio’s Maracana; the last game with the Dutch rivals was a dull 0-0 draw in Amsterdam three years ago; and Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff urged that “we have to roll up our sleeves, and put in spirited performances in both games.”
Dutch coach Danny Blind left out Fenerbahce’s van Persie because “he has been looking for his form and his rhythm” but has not fully closed the door on him as he rebuilds the team for 2018 World Cup qualifying after the shocking Euro exit.
Blind said the team must treat the friendlies “as qualifying matches which we need to build a team that can have a successful (2018) qualifying.”
Leichester City’s Vardy meanwhile is the toast of the Premier League with a leading 12 goals and the 28-year-old now wants to score his first England goal as well in his fourth game.
“I would be lying if I didn’t say I was surprised, pleasantly surprised,” Hodgson said. “That is all credit to him. He has proved himself.”
The double-header with Spain and France marks their first action since completing a perfect 10-game run through Euro qualifying, and while they may just be friendlies, manager Roy Hodgson is treating them as much more.
“It’ll be an opportunity to learn more about those players we believe in and give them a chance to stake an even greater claim to be in the 23 next year,” he said in naming his squad last week.
“It’ll be two very tough games which will stretch us to our limit. We will learn a lot after these two games.”
Hodgson has several injury victims while his first opponent Vicente del Bosque continuesg rejuvenating an ageing Spain squad by calling up youngsters Oscar de Marcos, Nacho, Sergio Rico, Mario Gaspar, Marc Bartra and Paco Alcacer - and overlooking veteran strikers including Roberto Soldado and Fernando Torres.
“We are in a process of generational change. This means that we are trying out various young players, to see if they can be useful for us,” Del Bosque said.
Italy coach Antonio Conte has recalled Stefano Okaka a year after netting the 1-0 winner over Albania in his first appearance, as the powerful striker has scored seven goals in his first season with Anderlecht.
But missing in midfield is veteran Andrea Pirlo, who closed his first MLS season in the US with New York City.
“His absence was scheduled,” Conte said. “He quit playing more than two weeks ago and I need to look at other players.”
Other games scheduled for the weekend include Austria versus Switzerland, Russia versus Croatia and Poland versus Czech Republic.