Germany are waiting on the fitness of captain Bastian Schweinsteiger for their Euro 2016 semi-final against France in two days’ time, as the Manchester United star sat out of yesterday’s training.
Schweinsteiger strained his right knee in Saturday’s quarter-final win over Italy, firing his spot-kick over the bar, as Germany won 6-5 in a penalty shoot-out after it finished 1-1 after extra-time.
The 31-year-old defensive midfielder missed training yesterday at Germany’s base in Evian, spending the session on an exercise bike. Germany already has personnel problems for the Marseille semi with centre-back Mats Hummels suspended plus Sami Khedira and Mario Gomez ruled out by injury.
Schweinsteiger has yet to start any of Germany’s five games so far at the European Championship finals after tearing the medial ligament in his right knee in March. Germany coach Joachim Loew has said he will not risk any player who is ‘not 100 % fit’ as die Mannschaft’s medical staff race to get Schweinsteiger ready.
Defender Benedikt Howedes also sat out training session as a precaution, as they prepare to fly to Marseille to play for a place in Sunday’s final in Paris against either Wales or Portugal.

New 24-team format for Euros is success, says UEFA
UEFA believes the 24-team format introduced for the first time at Euro 2016 is a success and will boost football in some of the continent’s smaller nations, tournament director Martin Kallen said. Europe’s governing body opted eight years ago to expand the competition from 16 to 24 teams.
The additional eight places allowed Albania, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Slovakia and Wales to qualify for the first time. Some of the newcomers have been particularly successful, including Northern Ireland, who reached the last 16, and quarter-finalists Iceland. Wales have reached the semi-finals where they take on Portugal on today in Lyon. “People were anxious the format might not work but it has worked,” Kallen told reporters. “We have seen two teams (Iceland and Wales) going further than anybody believed they would and that’s positive.”
Some people have criticised the new format, saying it has not increased the excitement of the tournament and suggesting that Wales and Northern Ireland would have qualified for a 16-team tournament. But Kallen said the less glamorous teams have been supported by some of the most passionate fans in the tournament.
“This has opened new areas for football,” he said. “I think there will be a boom in those countries and I think we well see more kids there playing football.”
The 24-team format will continue at the 2020 finals and Kallen suggested UEFA might stick to it after that. UEFA has no problems with the organisation or security at the tournament which has been largely incident-free since violent clashes marred an early game between England and Russia in Marseille.
The governing body has faced criticism, however, for the way it allocated tickets to the football associations. Ireland manager Martin O’Neill called the system unfair. Ticketing, overall, was a success with most matches sold out.

UEFA not happy about Bale daughter on pitch
UEFA are not happy with Gareth Bale and other Wales players parading their children on the Euro 2016 pitch in Paris after their last 16 win over Northern Ireland.
“It is always cute when the kids are there,” said UEFA operations director Martin Kallen. “But it is a European Championship not a family party.”
Bale hugging his daughter Alba on the Parc des Princes pitch after the 1-0 win over Northern Ireland became one of the images of Euro 2016 after. Other players also had their children on the pitch. “We are not 100 % against it, but we are cautious. We have to guarantee security,” Kallen said.
“There should be a certain order. There are also certain safety issues behind it. Small kids five, six years old. If something happens what do you do,” said the Swiss official, who said there would be problems if there was a pitch invasion.