Bastian Schweinsteiger's career should not be written off following the Manchester United midfielder's latest injury setback, according to the Germany captain's international colleague Sami Khedira.
Schweinsteiger, 31, could miss the rest of the season after injuring his knee while on international duty, but Khedira is convinced his fellow World Cup winner will come back stronger than ever and silence his critics.
"You almost get the feeling that he's left us for good and won't play football again, but anybody who writes him off is making a big mistake," Khedira told a news conference on Munich ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Italy.
United are currently sixth in the Premier League table, one point behind fourth-placed local rivals Manchester City. Louis van Gaal's side will resume their bid to qualify for the Champions League without Schweinsteiger when they host Everton at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Khedira will once again captain the national team in the absence of Schweinsteiger, as he did in Saturday's 3-2 home defeat to England, and he is looking forward to the "honour" of leading the side out in Munich.
"It's something special," he said, adding he was not the only one to take on more responsibility in Schweinsteiger's absence. "We've got Manu [Neuer], Jerome [Boateng], Mats [Hummels], Toni [Kroos] or Thomas [Muller], many players whose voices carry weight," he added. "I am just one of many."