Miroslav Klose is 35 years old. He has been a mainstay for Die Mannschaft since making his international debut in 2001, when he scored the winner two minutes from full time after coming on against Albania. He has played in three World Cups and three European Championships. 68 goals in 130 appearances ties him for second most goals scored all time for Germany with Gerd Müller. Seeing him leading the line for Germany may now be a thing of the past.
Miroslav Klose Injured, May Miss World Cup
After sustaining a thigh muscle tear, Miroslav Klose has been ruled out for a month. This significantly damages his chances of being included in Germany’s World Cup squad.
Robert Cianflone
Many thought that after moving from Bayern to Lazio at the end of 2011 would basically be the end of his career. However, he has scored 35 league goals in 78 Serie A appearances, including a match against Bologna last season where he scored five goals and was subbed off with 22 minutes left! (Really, Vladmir Petkovic?)
The main problem for Klose has been staying fit. This thigh muscle tear is his 19th injury since the last World Cup. Another thing spelling trouble for him has been a change in tactics. With national team coach Joachim Löw lately using formations that don't require traditional strikers, the Germany World Cup squad probably won't see more than one or two out-and-out strikers. Players like Mario Götze, André Schürrle, and Marco Reus have been preferred to Mario Gomez, Stefan Kießling, and Klose.
Should Klose be included in the squad that goes to Brazil? Only if he is healthy.
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