Germany coach Joachim Low has admitted his is concerned about striker Miroslav Klose with their opening World Cup fixture against Australia less than two weeks away.

Klose had a dismal domestic season with Bayern Munich, scoring only three Bundesliga goals all term and struggling to get into the champions' starting line-up.

And now Low has revealed that he has found it difficult to help Klose, who has scored 48 times in 95 games for his country, rediscover his confidence. It follows another below-par display in the international friendly against Hungary this weekend.

"It is clear that it will be no easy task to get Miro in form,'' Low told Bild. "It will be hard work, for him, for us. He has to work a lot. He still hasn't shown the form that he is actually capable of. For Miro it is now about becoming more certain in training.''

"People have often written Miro off before. But when it comes to it, he is there.''

Klose's last international goal came in the 1-0 World Cup qualifying win away to Russia last October.

Meanwhile, Germany captain Philipp Lahm insists the squad can cope with their mounting injury problems.

Coach Joachim Low has already been deprived of five players for the tournament in South Africa, with Schalke defender Heiko Westermann the latest to be ruled out.

The withdrawal of Westermann, who broke his foot during Saturday's 3-0 friendly win over Hungary in Budapest, comes after injury had put paid to the hopes of goalkeeper Rene Adler, Simon Rolfes, Christian Trasch and most importantly skipper Michael Ballack.

"That we have lost players who are enormously important for us is a shame,'' said the Bayern Munich full-back. "But we still have a top squad which can go far.''