It is very much a new-look Germany which travels to Qatar, as the country enters a major tournament under new management for the first time since Euro 2008, after Joachim Low handed the baton to current coach Hansi Flick at the end of a glittering 15 years in charge of the national team.

As always, this is a Germany team with no shortage of talent or experience at international level, although at times they have lacked the ruthless streak which served their predecessors so well through the generations.

It remains to be seen whether the current crop can thrive in a tournament environment the way German sides have done so many times in the past, but that hasn’t prevented them from being among the favourites for glory in 2022, with many believing that if they can click under Flick they will be formidable opponents for any team.

Which Chelsea players do Germany have?

Kai Havertz will be taking part in his first World Cup, with the 23-year-old having made his senior international debut for Germany shortly after the last competition in 2018. He does have previous tournament experience, though, having scored twice in Germany’s four matches at Euro 2020.

Like for much of his international career, Havertz was playing as a No.10 behind Timo Werner at that tournament. More recently, though, he has alternated between that position and leading the attack as a centre-forward himself, as seen when he netted a brace in a 3-3 draw with England at Wembley in September, and he could reprise the more advanced role in Qatar with Werner absent injured.

Who else is in the Germany squad?

While Havertz is the only Chelsea player in the Germany squad, he does have former team-mate Antonio Rudiger, who departed Stamford Bridge earlier this year, for company. As always, there is a strong Bayern Munich presence, with seven players from that club, who have won the Bundesliga title for the last 10 seasons in a row, plus another five from their rivals Borussia Dortmund.

There are some eye-catching inclusions from Hansi Flick, most notably that of uncapped teenager Youssoufa Moukoko, who turns 18 on the day the tournament begins, and Mario Gotze, who scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final but hasn’t played for his country in five years.

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Defenders: Armel Bella-Kotchap (Southampton), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Christian Gunter (Freiburg), Thilo Kehrer (West Ham United), Lukas Klostermann (Leipzig), David Raum (Leipzig), Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Niklas Sule (Borussia Dortmund)

Midfielders: Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund), Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich), Mario Gotze (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Jonas Hofmann (Borussia Monchengladbach), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)

Forwards: Niclas Fullkrug (Werder Bremen), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Kai Havertz (Chelsea), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich)

What teams are in Germany's group?

Group E is the only one in this World Cup to feature two nations who have previously lifted the trophy, as European powerhouses Germany and Spain go head-to-head. This will be their fifth meeting in a World Cup, with two Germany wins and a draw in the group stage, although Spain inflicted a painful 1-0 defeat on the Germans in the 2010 semi-finals.

Also in the group, Germany will face a Japan side who have lost their position as Asia’s highest-ranked team and Costa Rica, who their only previous match with ended in a 4-2 victory in the opening game of the 2006 World Cup on home soil.

When are Germany's fixtures?

Germany v Japan, Al Rayyan, 23 November, 1pm

Spain v Germany, Al Khor, 27 November, 7pm

Costa Rica v Germany, Al Khor, 1 December, 7pm

How did Germany qualify?

After a disappointing Euro 2020, by Germany’s high standards, when they were eliminated in the last 16 from a major tournament for the first time in their history, things immediately improved when Flick took over with a fresh approach.

They won all seven of their remaining matches in World Cup qualification, scoring 31 goals while conceding just twice in the process, to stroll their way to Qatar, becoming the first country from any continent to secure their place at the tournament.

However, that momentum stalled during their UEFA Nations League campaign this year, when they managed just one victory after starting with three consecutive draws, finishing third in their group behind Italy and Hungary, neither of whom qualified for the World Cup.

What is Germany's World Cup history?

No country has reached the World Cup final on more occasions than Germany, with eight appearances and four victories, one less than the competition’s most successful country Brazil.

Their first triumph was for West Germany, when the country was divided, in 1954, as they overcame the legendary Hungary team of that era – who were previously unbeaten in 32 games and had defeated the Germans 8-3 in the group stage – in a final which became known to the victors as ‘the miracle of Bern’.

West Germany’s second victory arrived on home soil in 1974, when they came from behind to beat Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands 2-1 in the final in Munich, before triumphing again in Italy in 1990, when they became the first side to reach three successive finals and got revenge on Argentina, who had beaten them in the previous decider.

Germany’s first and, so far, only World Cup win since reunification came in 2014, in a campaign best remembered for the 4-0 win over Portugal in their opening game and the record-breaking 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil in the semis. They defeated Argentina again in the final, thanks to a Mario Gotze goal set up by Chelsea winger Andre Schurrle. It remains the only World Cup victory by a European team in the Americas.