Germany coach Joachim Loew remains hopeful of clear-the-air talks with Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack.

Loew summoned the Germany captain for a one-to-one talk after being criticised by the Blues midfielder in a newspaper interview last week.

Ballack's club blocked him from flying to Germany as a precautionary measure after the former Bayern Munich man underwent foot surgery recently, but Loew feels it was the player's duty and not that of his club to rule out a meeting.

"I told him quite clearly that I would have expected him to tell me that personally," Loew told Bild. "Even if other people see things differently, I would never have flown to London.

"That has always been my stance from the beginning and I am sticking by it."