Germany to face Poland without Marco Reus

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Germany’s Mario Goetze, Thomas Mueller and Toni Kroos during a training session.
Germany's Mario Goetze, Thomas Mueller and Toni Kroos during a training session.

Berlin - Loew's team now eye revenge against neighbours

By AFP

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Published: Fri 4 Sep 2015, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Fri 4 Sep 2015, 2:21 PM

Germany must again do without winger Marco Reus for their key Euro 2016 qualifier against Group D leaders Poland on Friday after the Borussia Dortmund star broke his big toe.
As well as the Poland clash in Frankfurt, the 26-year-old will also miss Monday's qualifier against Scotland in Glasgow as the Dortmund forward's bad luck with Germany continues.
He picked up the injury in Dortmund's 3-1 win over Hertha Berlin on Sunday, which kept them top of the Bundesliga table, and the injury was diagnosed after he complained of pain during Germany's training session on Wednesday.
"It's regrettable and, of course, I don't like to be without him, because Marco is a player who can do things in key moments on attack," said Germany head coach Joachim Loew. Second-placed Germany are looking to avenge their 2-0 defeat in Warsaw last October in a Euro 2016 qualifier with Poland top of the group by a point and then play third-placed Scotland away on Monday.
"I am pleased there are decisive games ahead of us, it's a challenge for us, but we're not under pressure," added Loew. No decision has been made on who will replace Reus in Germany's line-up, but Loew revealed Bayern Munich's Mario Goetze, who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final, will start, as will Arsenal's Mesut Ozil, despite a knee knock.
Reus missed Germany's World Cup triumph after tearing an ankle ligament in the final warm-up match in June 2014, just before the team flew to Brazil and then suffered two more ankle injuries in September and then November last season. He has been available for selection for just four of Germany's last 10 internationals.
Loew's side find themselves in the usual position of being second in the table, just a point behind leaders Poland. The Germans are making no secret of their desire to take six points from their two games to wrest back control of the group from neighbours Poland. "It's business time now," said Germany forward Thomas Mueller.
"This is no friendly - we're getting straight into it with what is supposedly the hardest game.
"After losing 2-0 last time, we have a score to settle against Poland, and that should tell you everything. And after that, the away game in Scotland - it doesn't get much more interesting."
"They are first, we are second, of course, we want to pass them in the table, but it's going to be tough work, we know that. We need to play the sort of football again which we haven't seen for a while."
As German daily Die Welt pointed out, a poll of Germans suggest the euphoria of the Brazil triumph has faded with only 13 percent believing their side will win the Euro 2016 title in France. The top two teams from each group qualify automatically, but Germany will want to make sure they finish in their accustomed top spot.
Having suffered a post-Brazil hangover, Loew's side want to rediscover the form that carried them to last year's World Cup triumph.
Poland arrive in Frankfurt looking to complete the double over their neighbours to stay top of the group before they play bottom side Gibraltar in Warsaw next Monday, having mauled the minnows 7-0 away in September last year.
Mueller's Bayern teammate Robert Lewandowski will lead Poland's attack and the hotshot striker says Germany will be showing his side a lot more respect than they did when the teams last met. 

Spain's goalkeeper David de Gea, left, walks past teammate and also goalkeeper Iker Casillas during a training session with the Spanish national team in Las Rozas on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain, Wednesday Sept. 2, 2015. In a surreal ending to the transfer window in Spain, the much-anticipated move of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea to Real Madrid never materialized. The clubs had struck a deal that would see Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas move the other way, but it broke down because the necessary paperwork wasn't submitted on time. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Spain's goalkeeper David de Gea, left, walks past teammate and also goalkeeper Iker Casillas during a training session with the Spanish national team in Las Rozas on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain, Wednesday Sept. 2, 2015. In a surreal ending to the transfer window in Spain, the much-anticipated move of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea to Real Madrid never materialized. The clubs had struck a deal that would see Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas move the other way, but it broke down because the necessary paperwork wasn't submitted on time. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

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