Munich  - Germany coach Joachim Loew has hit back at critics who claim that he is not picking the national team on merit.

In an interview published Sunday in the Welt am Sonntag Loew said it was "totally absurd to make such accusations."

The German squad will meet on Monday in Cologne ahead of their friendly international against South Africa on Saturday and the World Cup qualifier four days later in Hanover.

"It would be negligent if I did not pick the players on merit. No coach can afford to do something like that," he said.

Loew has been criticised by Werder Bremen officials after their goalkeeper Tim Wiese was not called up for the two matches, saying they could not understand Loew's decision.

After Bremen midfielder Torsten Frings had been overlooked earlier, Bremen manager Klaus Allofs seems to believe in a conspiracy and said that one could not send a clearer signal to Wiese what one thinks of him.

Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen has also criticised the fact that striker Stefan Kiessling, who on Saturday scored his fourth goal in as many games, has not been picked for the squad.

"Loew has to bear his cross with the four goalkeepers, now he is continuing with the strikers," Leverkusen coach Jupp Heynckes said.

Loew had earlier explained that Hanover goalkeeper Robert Enke was not necessarily the number one goalkeeper for Germany at next year's World Cup in South Africa - even if he did hold the number one position at the moment.

"We are facing very important matches at the moment and wanted some clarity until the end of the year. Thereafter we will look at the situation again," Loew said.

Leverkusen's goalkeeper Rene Adler, Manuel Neuer from Schalke and Wiese were not out of the race, Loew assured them, even if Enke held a slight advantage.

Ahead of their final three World Cup qualifiers Germany has a slight advantage over Russia and is keen to stay ahead of their rivals to finish first and achieve automatic qualification for next year's finals.

Germany face Russia in Moscow on October 10 and Loew knows that the team needs to improve before that match. "We need to get back on the path on which we were before," Loew said.

The coach admitted that his team was not as strong as some of their fans liked to believe. "We are not a footballing power that strongly dominates others," he said.  dpa