GERMANY may be a precision-engineered, smoothly functioning football machine but for once a few key cogs are missing.
The world champions, who haven't failed to qualify for a major tournament since 1968, aren't exactly in disarray ahead of tonight's European Championship qualifier against Scotland in Dortmund but there was an admission from head coach Joachim Low yesterday that injuries and international retirement leave his team a little more vulnerable than he would like to be.
Among all the usual platitudes directed towards the opposition, there was also something of a compliment from Low to his opposite number Gordon Strachan when he said that Scotland were more than just your usual British-style side.
By that he seemed to be suggesting that, perhaps unlike some of our teams in the past, the Scots are prepared to use a bit of pace and guile to try to create a goal.
What is laughably referred to as the Germans' weak link is the fact that potential defensive reinforcements such as Erik Durm, Matthias Ginter and Kevin Grosskreutz, despite being redoubtable Bundesliga characters, are scarcely into double figures when it comes to their combined international experience.
Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose have retired from Die Nationalmannschaft while Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira, Mats Hummels, Mesut Ozil and Julian Draxler are all injured.
Scotland are also missing the likes of Scott Brown, Robert Snodgrass and Andrew Robertson, but you wouldn't have thought it listening to Low yesterday.
"Scotland have had no problems in their preparations," he said. "They have a British mentality but they don't play with a British style these days. They try to play good football but are still very well organised. They have quality players and have nothing to lose in this match so will play with no fear. We know all about their players and their biggest strength is that they are a team.
"They have good players like Steven Naismith, Shaun Maloney and Ikechi Anya. Darren Fletcher is the best-known and most experienced.
"They will be motivated and physical. They will run a lot and they are also very good in one-on-ones. They beat Croatia twice and drew against USA and Nigeria, so we know they are a very good team. It will be a difficult match for us."
It remains to be seen whether Scotland can exploit any teething problems in this reconditioned German engine as efficiently as Argentina did, but it will not be through lack of trying.
"In the next weeks and months we will certainly have to fight because some players are still injured," Low said. "But the experience of past tournaments have taught us that there are always changes.
"We have a very good foundation. The new players have yet to be developed to make the step to world-class but we will surround them with experience for an extended period of time, give them time to get to the level."
Scotland may be the archetypal team of no stars but one man who can expect more attention than most is Steven Naismith, scorer of three goals in three games for Everton this season, and who is likely to get the nod as lone striker. One of those goals came in a 6-3 defeat to Chelsea, so Andre Schurrle knows more than some what the 27-year-old has to offer.
"Naismith is a very good player," Schurrle said. "He's very quick and has scored a lot of goals. He played well against us for Everton and is dangerous and someone we'll have to watch."
Ginter, one member of a large Dortmund contingent in the squad, repeated his manager's mantra. "It will not be easy for us," the defender said. "Like all British teams, Scotland are known for their physical game. They never give up and can be really uncomfortable to play against. In attacking areas they have fast players; they know this and use them well. They will also be particularly motivated against us - after all, they are playing against the world champions."
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