5 Players to Watch in Germany's Euro 2016 Qualifier with Poland

Joachim Low's world champions return to action this weekend as Germany takes to the challenge of qualifying for the European Championships in France in two years' time. 

The coming foe is none other than Poland, arguably the strongest opponent to Low's side in Group D, who will welcome Manuel Neuer and company to the National Stadium in Warsaw on Saturday. 

Following an uncomfortable 2-1 win over Scotland in Dortmund last month, Germany will be hopeful of all three points, but Low is still without a number of the key players that won the World Cup just a few months ago in Brazil. 

Injuries to Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira, Marco Reus and Mario Gomez all mean that the German coach has had to recruit a whole roster of new faces to take on this coming Polish challenge. 

Here are five exciting new talents to keep an eye on.

Karim Bellarabi

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Perhaps the most surprising and therefore most notable selection has been that of Bayer Leverkusen's Karim Bellarabi. 

The 24-year-old attacking midfielder has truly gone from zero to hero in a matter of months within German football. Having played at relegated Eintracht Braunschweig last season, he is now leading the line for Roger Schmidt's attacking side. 

Bellarabi is essentially a direct, tricky winger—something Germany do tend to lack in their current squad—and should find purpose in the team if used efficiently.

This midfielder is full of goals and assists and could prove vital to Germany's chances in Warsaw.

Sebastian Rudy

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The next player in our list is none other than defensive midfielder Sebastian Rudy from Hoffenheim, even though he isn't much of a midfielder these days. 

As we saw against Scotland in the first round of Group D, Rudy has been converted to a right-back by Low, having played the position for his Bundesliga club for much of this current season. 

The 24-year-old is an intelligent player in the same style as that of Philipp Lahm. He can quite confidently play in either position with plenty of confidence and determination. 

Germany are a little light in the full-back position at the moment, and Rudy is a very useful alternative.

Max Kruse

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Under Low's reign, Germany have always struggled to find a regular centre forward who can play in the system that the coach has devised for his side. 

Low has tried a number of alternative methods, including playing Mario Gomez as a standalone striker, Andre Schurrle as a poacher and Mario Gotze as a false nine. However, in the end, he always reverts back to the tried and tested method of simply sticking Miroslav Klose up front on his own.

Now the Lazio striker has retired, Low needs a new complete forward. 

Enter Max Kruse.

Gladbach's star forward is arguably one of the most complete at his position with a German passport in the modern game. 

Kruse has been excellent for the Foals this season, with three goals and three assists in just seven games, showing that he can play the role of playmaker and goalscorer in Germany's top division. 

The 26-year-old hasn't always been at his best when flung into the national team, but with time he could prove invaluable to Low's side. 

Antonio Rudiger

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

If the World Cup exposed one weakness in Low's German side, it was the complete and utter lack of pace on show between his defenders. 

Per Mertesacker and Benedikt Howedes are fantastic players in their own right, but whenever asked to play a high line without the expertise of Mats Hummels or sweeping skills of Manuel Neuer, things became a little nervy. 

As such, Low has taken to young central defender Antonio Rudiger as a potential solution to this slow, ageing problem. 

At just 21 years of age, Rudiger is already the first name on Armin Veh's team sheet at Stuttgart each week, offering a solid level of consistency that is so desperately needed at the troubled club these days. 

The Berlin-born star-to-be has all the skills to thrive in the Bundesliga and could well become the next regular centre-back for Germany. 

Christoph Kramer

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

We all may know him as the poor kid who picked up a concussion just minutes into the final of the World Cup, but Christoph Kramer is certainly deserving of much more praise than that. 

The Gladbach defensive midfielder has simply been one of the best in such a position throughout the Bundesliga for the past 18 months.

Now, after a season that confirmed his spot in the World Cup squad, the 23-year-old has clear intentions of keeping his name in contention for the national side. 

Kramer is at his best when allowed to play his usual box-to-box role as he does so well for Gladbach. The midfielder is just as eloquent in his passing as he is in dispossessing opponents, and he is therefore a useful player in any counter-attacking side. 

With injuries to Schweinsteiger and Khedira and Lahm's early retirement, Kramer stands before a fantastic opportunity to confirm himself as a regular for Low's midfield for years to come. Germany may need a new central midfielder in France, and it could well be this feisty Foal.