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Ahead of Germany’s final couple of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in October 2013, coach Joachim Löw will have to search for alternatives as his number one and two strikers in Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez are both out injured.
New AC Fiorentina signing Mario Gomez has been out with a knee injury for some weeks now, while Klose joined him on the injury list over the weekend and will be out for about 15 days.
“The operation went well, but I had to have it done as I have been playing for a few weeks in pain. I will do all I can to be back as soon as possible to play for Lazio and Germany,” Klose told German tabloid Bild.
Germany host Ireland on October 11 in Cologne, while on October 15, they are away to Sweden in Stockholm, with Germany close to qualification. But now Löw will have to think about different options to fill in the strikers’ slot.
The number one candidate would now be number three striker Max Kruse from Borussia Mönchengladbach, while Bayer 04 Leverkusen striker Stefan Kießling, who according to Löw doesn’t fit into his system, might be recalled for these matches after a three year period. Or else, a false number nine can be used with Marco Reus, Thomas Müller or, if fit, Mario Götze being the available options.
