Joachim Low has told dpa that he hopes Marco Reus can spearhead Germany's 2017 Confederations Cup squad this summer.
Reus, 27, has missed Germany's last two tournaments -- the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 European Championship --- through injuries and despite his great talent has only ever represented his country in two games at the 2012 Euros in Ukraine and Poland.
The Borussia Dortmund attacker spent the majority of the first half of this season sidelined with an adductor injury but since his return he has scored four goals and set up a further five in only five performances in the Bundesliga and Champions League, and Low hopes Reus can play a leading role at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia in June and July.
"It would indeed be good if players like Marco Reus who have not been with us for a long time could participate in the Confed Cup," the Germany boss said. "That would be a good opportunity for them to make an impression again and get used to our processes."
Reus last featured for Germany in March 2016 when the Nationalmannschaft beat Italy 4-1 in one of the last tests before the Euro 2016.
Low said last year that he will use the Confed Cup to hand chances to players from Germany's second line and allow Arsenal's Mesut Ozil, Real Madrid's Toni Kroos or injury-prone Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng to take a break after participating in the Euros the previous summer.
However, he needs to factor in the under-21 team's participation in the European Championship in Poland taking place at the same time as the Confederations Cup.
"In the end, you want to be successful in both tournaments. That's the goal," Low said, and announced he would make a decision with the under-21 coach Stefan Kuntz and DFB sporting director Hansi Flick in March.