No rush for Low over captaincy

20 May 2010 15:58

Germany coach Joachim Low will not be rushed into announcing who will replace Michael Ballack as captain at the World Cup in South Africa.

Ballack will miss the finals due to an ankle injury, but Low has yet to decide who will be given the armband in his absence.

"We are considering our options, but we are doing it calmly and without getting hectic because there is no need for that," said Low. "We have a strong team and we hope that we will play a good World Cup, however bitter losing Michael Ballack is."

Low continued: "We can only keep emphasising that we have faith in our squad for South Africa and we also have a plan for the upcoming team decisions we have to make. But we want to discuss that first with the players before we make it public."

Bayern Munich trio Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm have emerged as favourites to become the next Germany captain and Low admits choosing a player who has won everything this season may be a positive choice.

"If Bayern win the treble, then that would give the whole national team a boost," he told the German Football Association's website ahead of Bayern's Champions League final against Inter Milan in Madrid.

"The Bayern players would come to us for our training camp in Sudtirol with a lot of self-confidence and ambition.

"That can have a positive impact on the national team at the World Cup.

"On Saturday, we will be keeping our fingers crossed that Bayern beat Inter in the final in Madrid and then that our players are healthy when they join us in Sudtirol."

Source: PA