German football great Franz Beckenbauer said he was not optimistic about his country's chances of success at the World Cup, in an interview to be published in the German press on Sunday.

"Without Michael Ballack, it will be difficult. Our team is weakened," he told the Berlin newspaper DerTagesspiegel.

"We'll have to work hard just to reach the semifinals. ”

Germany's preparations have been hit by the injured-enforced withdrawals of captain Ballack, goalkeeper Rene Adler, defender Heiko Westermann and midfielders Simon Rolfes and Christian Traesch.

Coach Joachim Loew's reorganised side hit back from a goal down to beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-1 in a warm-up match in Frankfurt on Thursday.

"We're never been artists on the pitch like the Brazilians," added Beckenbauer, who led his country to World Cup glory as first captain and then coach in 1974 and 1990.