Germany’s Mario Goetze moves past Luca Tosi, of San Marino, during last week’s qualifier.

Germany coach Joachim Loew will not tire his players out in their friendly against Italy, with clubs complaining of a busy schedule and the Bundesliga’s top match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund looming.

“I have often said that the players are already at their limit,” the coach told reporters in Rome on the eve of the match against Italy in Milan tonight.

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge complained last week about what he said were frequent breaks in club football to accommodate international mat-ches, saying the calendar had become “catastrophic”.

Players also regularly complain about the competing pressures on their time created by the scheduling of national and club matches.

Germany beat San Marino 8-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Friday before travelling to Rome to meet Pope Francis and on to Milan.

Several Germany players, including Mats Hummels, Thomas Mueller, Mario Goetze and Joshua Kimmich, will then have to prepare for the biggest game in the German league in recent seasons, with Bayern facing Dortmund on Saturday.

“I am specifically thinking about how to distribute the strain. No player will return to their clubs tired,” Loew said.

“I always take care that I rest some key players in November and accommodate the clubs.”

He said Bayern’s Kimmich will not be playing in central defence as he did against San Marino with Benedikt Hoewedes set to partner Hummels.

“Hoewedes will start, playing next to Hummels,” he said.

“It is also possible to deploy (newcomer) Yannick Gerhardt from the beginning instead of (left back) Jonas Hector.”

Gerhardt is one of three youngsters, who earned their first call-ups, with Serge Gnabry scoring three goals against San Marino and Benjamin Henrichs also starting against the European minnows on Friday.

Henderson captain

England captain Wayne Rooney will not start the friendly against Spain after missing training on yesterday, manager Gareth Southgate said.

Rooney sat out the session due to minor issues and Southgate confirmed that Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson will lead the team against the 2010 world champions at Wembley today.

“I wouldn’t start Wayne in this game anyway. Jordan Henderson will be captain,” Southgate said.

“The key for me is I believe we have several leaders and I don’t think we can have just one captain,” he added.

“Too much responsibility has been on Wayne, we need to share that. Once you have a team of those leaders you can have a lot of success.”

Southampton left back Ryan Bertrand also missed training yesterday and with only 19 outfield players available, 17-year-old Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dylan Duncan was invited to join in.

England defeated bitter rivals Scotland 3-0 in a World Cup Group F qualifier on Friday while Spain crushed Macedonia 4-0 in Group G on Saturday.

Tonight’s game will be the last of Southgate’s four-match audition as England interim manager.

The former Under-21 coach landed the role on a temporary basis after Sam Allardyce was sacked in September.

Friendlies

Russia vs Romania - 17.00
Malta vs Iceland - 19.00
Hungary vs Sweden - 19.45
Ukraine vs Serbia - 20.00
Czech Rep. vs Denmark - 20.30
Austria vs Slovakia - 20.45
Italy vs Germany - 20.45
N. Ireland vs Croatia - 20.45
England vs Spain - 21.00
France vs Ivory Coast - 21.00