Bastian Schweinsteiger has come under fire in recent times following his mediocre performances for Manchester United, but that will not affect his place in the German national team according to manager Joachim Loew.

Schweinsteiger has been a key member of the German national team over the last decade. His importance has especially grown since the retirement of Michael Ballack. Schweinsteiger has never been known for his pace, but this has been the criticism being levelled at him United. The fast Premier League has made life difficult for the 31-year-old, who has scored only one goal in 21 appearances.

United did not primarily expect goals from the midfielder, but they were on the lookout for someone who can become the next Paul Scholes in the midfield. Schweinsteiger, though, is yet to provide even a single assist for his teammates in all competitions. The poor form of the midfielder is threatening to spoil his place in the national team. At just 31, he can realistically expect to be part of the next World Cup. For the time being, Germany are looking to become champions of Europe. They recently won the World Cup 2014 to confirm their status as the number one team in the world.

Germany, though, have suffered a few defeats in recent friendly matches and it will be a cause of concern for Loew.”I have changed him and I don’t change players for nothing, [it’s because] I think I can do better with other players, but we are all human beings and also Bastian Schweinsteiger is a human being. He wants to play at the highest level and certainly in Germany to show his qualities, but I cannot say that he was the Schweinsteiger from my period in Munich today.We at the German Football Association know what we are getting with Bastian,” said Loew.