German injury worries ease ahead of semi-final
Reuters - Tuesday 06 July 2010, 08:35
ERASMIA - Germany's injury
worries have cleared up ahead of Wednesday's World Cup
semi-final with Spain, with team manager Oliver Bierhoff
declaring that all the squad are fit for the clash in Durban.
Germany will be without suspended midfielder Thomas Muller
but Sami Khedira and Cacau, who have been training separately
for the past two days, were available to coach Joachim Low,
said Bierhoff.
Central defender Arne Friedrich, who had a foot problem,
also sat out training on Monday but will be ready to play.
"The most important thing is for the coach to be able to
pick from all the squad except for Muller," said Bierhoff who
said the team would cope with the absence of the exciting
20-year-old.
"In a tournament a team settles and so Thomas's absence is a
little link in the chain missing and he has been outstanding,"
said the Germany team manager.
"The team have reacted admirably whenever key players (have
been) missing," he said.
Germany have several options for replacing Muller with
Cacau and Toni Kroos in the frame but the most likely choice is
winger Piotr Trochowski, positionally more of a straight swap.
Follow FFT.com on Twitter
Join FFT.com on Facebook