Germany manager Joachim Low has admitted that he remains undecided on who will replace Marco Reus in his starting lineup for tonight's clash with the Faroe Islands.
Rues has been ruled out of the World Cup qualifier in Torshavn with a stomach virus, giving a trio of fringe players their chance to stake a claim for a regular starting spot.
Low has revealed that Julian Draxler, Sidney Sam and Chelsea forward Andre Schurrle are all in contention to replace the Dortmund winger, with a decision to be made after training today.
He told the Bundesliga's official website: "We're taking the game very seriously. The Faroes make things difficult for the opposition when they play at home, they've impressed me!
"The most important thing for us is to accept the conditions and take maximum points from the game. Julian Draxler, Andre Schürrle and Sidney Sam are all in contention to replace him.
"Sam is more of a right-sided player, so I'm probably going to choose either Schurrle or Draxler."
Germany will secure a place in next summer's finals if they beat the Faroes and Sweden fail to win in Kazakhstan.