News Analysis: Loew concerned by dodgy knee

A football team needs a leader, maybe more than in any other team sport. A role that not many can fill with vitality. It is probable that not many eagle-eyed observers watching Manchester United would count on Bastian Schweinsteiger being the man as the 31-year-old seemingly has not fulfilled expectations. But a leader in football does not inevitably have to be a superman like Lionel Messi. Sometimes it is enough to makes things work and oil the gears, and stand for emotions a team can trust.

Who forgot the pictures of Schweinsteiger in Brazil conducting the German football triumph with blood running down his face. Now, after his knee injury, it cannot be excluded that leader Schweinsteiger will be sidelined for 2016 European Championships in France.

Having to wait, not only for Schweinsteiger, is where Loew's problems start. As far as leadership qualities are concerned in advance of the friendly against England in Berlin this Saturday, neither midfielders Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) nor Sami Khedira (Juventus Turin) and Mesut Oezil (Arsenal) or Ilkay Guendogan (Borussia Dortmund) enter the fray with a similar background.

But not only Schweinsteiger can be considered to be a vital part of Loew's overdrive. Only a few months after an amazing team effort which catapulted the German team to the pinnacle of world football, Jerome Boateng is going through a tough time recovering from a serious injury. Like Schweinsteiger, Boateng seems to be irreplaceable especially as others are still trying to prove they can fill the gap.

Three months before Loew and his team start their campaign to win Europe's football crown, Germany looks like an unfinished building which has to be finished without the usual thoroughness. Central defender Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), midfielders Kroos, Khedira (partly Oezil) and strikers Andre Schuerrle (VfL Wolfsburg), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund) and Mario Goetze (Bayern Munich) would all not describe their seasons as being their best ever.

Ilkay Guendogan is injured like Boateng but both are likely to return before the championship gets underway. Striker Mario Gomez, who was not selected for the 2014 World Cup, might be match fit but his goals have come in Turkey's top league which is not regarded to be among the strongest in Europe.

Kroos and Khedira are expected to form the starting duo in midfield against England. But when it comes to substituting them should they get injured at EURO 2016, Loew's options are poor. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) seems to be an option but the young defender and midfielder lacks experience as does Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund). And Christoph Kramer (Bayer Leverkusen) will struggle to find full fitness.

So what is inside the packaging with the brand name "World Champion"? The time in advance of an important tournament is a time of uncertainty even for the world's top team due to the fact that, in most cases, protagonists of a team change and opponents catch up. As for Joachim Loew, it means, the German head coach has to accept the current development and at the same time try to create a new plan for his "new" team and write a new internal user manual for his squad.

At the same time Loew knows none of his opponents, meaning all the title-favorites like hosts France, Spain and Italy (and a few others) have a similar problem.

When Loew is talking about his attempt to shape a German football era, he is, like most World Champions, trying to deliver convincing arguments to prove that winning the World Cup was more than a lucky coincidence.

As a start of his build-up to the tournament, Loew has chosen to face strong opponents like England and Italy (next Tuesday in Munich) in order to provide a clear message to his Euro candidates. Loew wants to make it clear: From now on, despite all efforts for their clubs, players should start focusing on France 2016. To suspend a character like Max Kruse (VfL Wolfsburg) was not easy but at the same time an opportunity to show his determination and give a clear warning to others.

Kruse recently "forgot" 75,000 euros in cash in a taxi presumably after he spent time in the middle of the week playing poker in Berlin. After that he celebrated his birthday in a Berlin discotheque. A female reporter of a tabloid took some photos with her mobile before Kruse grabbed the phone and deleted the photos of him dancing and celebrating.

Kruse is far from being one of Loew's key players, meaning, he is replaceable. However he gave Loew the chance to express a warning to his World Champions and all that want to be part of his new squad. Loew explained his difficult decision to suspend Kruse by saying: "After the first incident I told Max Kruse that I expect a certain kind of behavior from a squad player and that I have my difficulties with someone who spends his time. Especially with the season reaching its climax when it's vital to concentrate all one's energy on the next game."

The possible German starting 11: Neuer (Bayern Munich) - Ruediger (AS Roma), Mustafi (FC Valencia), Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Hector (FC Koeln) - Kroos (Real Madrid), Khedira (Juventus Turin) - Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Oezil (FC Arsenal), Mueller (Bayern Munich - Goetze (Bayern Munich). Enditem