Wales v Germany:Arsenal and Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is confident he remains number one for club and country - and has fired a broadside at the press who have doubted his position.
Lehmann, who will play through the pain barrier for Germany in their qualifier in Wales tomorrow, could not bite his tongue when grilled by the German media at a press conference yesterday. "I feel I am the number one at Arsenal and Germany, although I know I have to train hard every day to justify this," he said.
Manuel Almunia has been between the posts for Arsenal's last three matches, but Lehmann insists this is purely down to his injury rather than a reflection of the two mistakes he made in the opening games of the Premier League season.
"I have not played recently because I could not play," he said. "If I am injured, then obviously another man plays. If he is a superman who stops everything, then I may not play again, but from experience, I know I have played constantly and I am not worried that I will not play again when I am fit."
Germany defender Philipp Lahm will miss tomorrow's game after suffering a knee injury in training yesterday. The German Football Association (DFB) said the Bayern Munich player was heading home after straining ligaments in his left knee.
Lahm had been due to play either at right back or in midfield against Wales and his absence means a further headache for coach Joachim Loew, who is already without senior midfielders Michael Ballack, Torsten Frings, Bernd Schneider and Tim Borowski.
Lahm will also miss Germany's friendly international against Romania in Cologne on Wednesday, the DFB said in a statement.
However, Loew will be able to call on strike pairing Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose while defender Marcell Jansen and winger Bastian Schweinsteiger could also return.
