Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany's captain and vice-captain respectively, are not for sale, a Bayern Munich official said yesterday, amid talk that Schweinsteiger could go to Chelsea.

The English Premiership champions are reportedly chasing the 25-year-old Bayern midfielder as a replacement for former Germany captain Michael Ballack, released by Chelsea after failing to come to terms over a contract extension.

But Christian Nerlinger, Bayern's director of sport, told Kicker: "Lahm and Schweinsteiger are our crown jewels. They are not for sale."

The two players will have done much to bolster their attractiveness to other clubs after taking part in Germany's 4-0 demolition of Australia in their World Cup opener on Sunday.

The contracts of both run until 2012 at the German champions.

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