Low: No-one is guaranteed a starting place

Germany coach Joachim Low has warned his players that no-one is guaranteed a place in the team for their opening 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifiers. The Germans start their bid to reach the tournament over the next eight days, with matches against Faroe Islands and Austria. And despite reaching the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2012, Low is willing to reshuffle his side for the matches in Hannover on Saturday and Vienna three days later. "There are no guarantees or entitlements in our team," he said. "We have moved on from two years ago and the competition has increased. "It is up to everybody to prove themselves." Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose, the sole forwards in the squad, arrived at the training base in Barsinghausen in good spirits today after both netting over the weekend - Podolski scored his first Arsenal goal in the 2-0 win at Liverpool while Klose grabbed a brace as Lazio moved joint top of Serie A with a 3-0 win over Palermo. But even they are in danger of starting on the bench with Low keen to take a look at attacking midfielder Marco Reus. "The European Championships showed how much international quality he has," said Low in Kicker magazine about German footballer of the year Reus, who joined Borussia Dortmund over the summer. Klose unfazed by competition for places Klose, who has appeared 122 times for Germany and scored 64 goals as opposed to Podolski's 44 strikes in 21 fewer games, is happy to fight for his place, though. "I want to be judged by my performances and not what I may have already achieved in the national team," he told Bild. "What I certainly do not want is carte blanche. Of course I am aiming for a place in Brazil 2014 and as long as I am physically fit, I am not scared of competition." FIFA