Germany's Bernd Leno to make his international debut

Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno is to make his Germany debut in Sunday´s friendly against Slovakia in Augsburg, goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke announced on Friday.

Leno enjoyed an impressive season at the BayArena and forced Joachim Löw to include him in his provisional Euro 2016 training squad as backup for World Cup winner Manuel Neuer, who is to be rested against the Slovaks.

Barcelona stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has five caps, is the other keeper in the squad but Köpke said Leno getting nod for Sunday was no slight on the former Borussia Mönchengladbach man.

"It could be that we swap at halftime," he told a press conference at Germany´s training base in Switzerland.

"We are not going to name an official No. 2 for Neuer, just like we have done in the past."

Although there is an obvious rivalry between Leno and ter Stegen, who are both 24, Köpke said he did not feel it would go overboard.

"They work fine together. We have no concerns," he said.

Two other young players competing against each other in the Germany squad are forwards Leroy Sané and Julian Brandt, who were also at the press conference.

Schalke's Sané is expected to start against Slovakia, perhaps with uncapped Brandt missing out, but he said both of them were rooting for each other as they look to experience a major championship for the first time.

"Of course we are competitors. But we will be happy if the other one succeeds," said Sané, who has one cap and scored in the 7-0 training ground thrashing of the Germany under-20 side on Thursday.

Head coach Joachim Löw must whittle down his 27-man squad to 23 by May 31. The world champions' opening match at Euro 2016 is against Ukraine on June 12 in Lille.