The 34-year-old underwent surgery in Hanover on Friday. A press release from his club Leverkusen indicated that he would be out of action until mid-July.

Schneider is refusing to accept that, hoping to recover one month earlier, claiming "if there is a will, there is a way".

He told the Frankfurter Allgemeinen: "The operation went well and I feel quite good, given the circumstances. My recovery could go quicker than many think."

However quickly Schneider recovers, he certainly will not be fit when Germany coach Joachim Low names his squad to take to Austria and Switzerland at the end of May.

Yet his inclusion may not be beyond the realms of possibility, with Low refusing to rule out taking a risk on the 81-cap Germany international.

He said: "I do not want to make any predictions. We will wait to see what happens the next few days, then he will have further tests and we will know more then."