Football Club

Miroslav Klose’s hopes of becoming the World Cup’s all-time top scorer could be dashed by a back injury.

The Germany striker, 32, needs one goal against Uruguay in Saturday’s third-place play-off to draw level with Brazilian Ronaldo’s record of 15.

“He was hurt in an aerial duel, and we are hoping that he will be okay,” stated assistant coach Hansi Flick.

Captain Philipp Lahm shrugged off his own injury worries, saying: “It would astonish me if I wasn’t ready.”

“I have time to rest and the body can absorb the pain during a day off,” Lahm continued.

Germany had to settle for the third-place play-off for the second World Cup in a row after losing 1-0 to Spain in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

In 2006 the Germans beat Portugal to finish third and Lahm will be hoping for a similar consolation this time around.

“Four years ago, we thought it was fantastic to play for third place,” he added.

“Before, like a lot of people, I didn’t even want to watch this match on television. But now I believe that winning this match is important.”

General manager Oliver Bierhoff has been impressed by the way in which Germany have played in South Africa and has no doubt coach Joachim Loew’s young team have still to peak.

“We have some very young players with a very big future and this will be an important experience for them as they go forward in their careers,” Bierhoff reflected.

While Klose is unlikely to feature in the next World Cup – the 2014 finals in Brazil – the rest of the squad now has four years in which to get over their semi-final disappointment.

Bierhoff has no doubt that defeat will make Loew’s squad stronger for the challenges ahead.

“It is tough. If you dream, if you believe you are going to get a big performance it is hard when you lose.”

He added that it was simply a lack of experience which led to Germany’s undoing – with Spain offering an extra edge when compared to England and Argentina , against whom Loew’s side scored four goals apiece.

“Spain are probably the best team in the world, certainly in Europe,” Bierhoff reflected.

“It is bad for us, but we are a very young team and perhaps you could see a lack of experience. Some players were tired and we didn’t have the precision in our passing. We have to live with that.

“They were better on the pitch. They kept the ball. They deserved to win.

“The truth is we didn’t find a system to break them down. It is a big disappointment not to win but overall we are very satisfied with the tournament.”