By Oliver Trust

BERLIN, March 7 (Xinhua) -- It seems more than a bold guess to predict Thomas Mueller will return to the German national team shortly.

On the back of the Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund's encounter, the public witnessed a curious exchange of compliments between the Bavarian idol and national coach Joachim Loew.

Like shy lovers, Loew and the once spurned 31-year-old took further cautious steps getting back together again.

Loew claimed the European Championship "is a separate competition we have to look at independently when it comes to our plans to rejuvenate our team."

The 61-year-old spoke about his obligation to "select the best players" to achieve maximum success. "Therefore, we have to talk about Mueller, Mats Hummels, and Jerome Boateng."

Since March 2019, the trio has been constantly overlooked whenever Loew selected his national team squads. The head coach wanted "to give younger players some space to gain experience."

Loew now claims he has lost a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On his way to restructuring the team, he called the situation "exceptional."

After struggling with his form for a while, Mueller, who has been capped 100 times for his country, seems to be open again to donning Germany's white jersey. "I'm open for everything after concentrating on this season's club competitions," the Bavarian idol said.

"I feel great desire to compete for the title if I am allowed to," Mueller answered, referring to the continental tournament in summer 2021.

For over a year, Muller has turned in world-class performances, increasing the pressure on Loew. Turbulent times now seem to provide the chance for the German coach to talk about Mueller's return without the loss of face.

With Mueller continuing his stunning displays, it seems inevitable Loew will add the Bayern forward to his tournament squad.

Mueller won't be part of the German squad in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers end of March against Iceland, Romania, and Northern Macedonia. "But we'll see where we are at the end of March," Loew said.

Talking about plans, Loew seemed to take his intention into account to deliver a successful tournament after two years of struggling with the German side, substantially harming his reputation.

Loew isn't only viewed critically by the public but also by officials at the German association.

Crisis meetings followed the disastrous 6-1 defeat against Spain in mid-November in the Nations League. The list of possible replacements grew and now includes Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp, Chelsea's Thomas Tuchel, and former Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick.

"If such classy players do return, then they will have a special status," Loew admitted when projecting a regular place in the starting eleven. Mueller seems the most likely for a return to the fold. Boateng (76 caps) seems only to have a negligible chance, while Hummels (70 caps) might follow Mueller's example.

All three of the 2014 world champions know that they won't want to make up the numbers as back-benchers if they return. Enditem

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