Kroos: Germany will cope without Schweinsteiger and Podolski

Toni Kroos insists Germany will cope with the retirement of captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, just as they have done with previous stars.

Manchester United midfielder Schweinsteiger and Galatasaray forward Lukas Podolski have both called time on their international careers after featuring in Euro 2016, where they exited at the semi-final stage.

However, this is not an unfamiliar scenario for the German national side, having lost then captain Philipp Lahm, defender Per Mertesacker and record goalscorer Miroslav Klose after their 2014 World Cup success.

And Kroos believes his team will quickly adjust again following the loss of Schweinsteiger and Podolski.

“I do not think it will take long,” he told the German Football Association’s website. “The situation is also not new to us.

“After each tournament, it is so that two or three players are no longer there. And we were always able to absorb this. This time Basti and Lukas have stopped; of course, they leave a gap.

“But it is not that we have eliminated so many game minutes – both were important for the team, but Luke has recently played less and less, and Bastian had much to contend with injuries.

“This means there is not much of an extreme change for us as a team.”

The world champions begin their World Cup qualifying campaign in Norway on Sunday, with Manuel Neuer appointed their new captain.