Germany manager Joachim Low has insisted that he will not be moving Philipp Lahm to his regular defensive role ahead of the World Cup quarter-final against France on Friday.
The German captain has been used as a midfielder throughout the tournament, and Low claims that he will ignore any suggestions that the 30-year-old should return to full-back as the country go in search of their first World Cup triumph since 1990.
"I have made up my mind already on Philipp Lahm's role, and I am sticking by it to the very end," Low told Die Zeit.
"Philipp Lahm has been a leading figure for us in recent years and he's been playing at the highest level for a decade, but he will only move back into defence if we have a problem on the right, at which point I might say 'okay, now it's up to Philipp who can push forwards down the right.'
Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski are both expected to be available to Low for the clash with France in the Maracana.
