Thomas Muller will struggle for playing time at Bayern Munich in the second half of the season, Lothar Matthaus has said in his column for Sport Bild.
Muller, 27, only started in 16 of a possible 24 matches during the first half of this season and the full 90 minutes nine times, scoring three goals in all competitions.
The Germany international had already gone without a goal at Euro 2016 and Matthaus believes Muller could drop down the pecking order at the Allianz Arena.
"It won't get any easier for Thomas Muller in the second half of the season to find his place in the starting XI," Matthaus wrote. "There is no real position for him in Carlo Ancelotti's system. Arjen Robben is a stronger player on the right wing. There is no second striker in a 4-2-3-1 system, and an attacking midfielder plays behind Robert Lewandowski."
The 1990 World Cup winner also believes that Muller will not be able to get in ahead of Spain international Thiago Alcantara, who has finally begun to show his best form at Bayern following several knee injuries in recent years.
"I see Thiago in that position. He has played a strong first half [of the campaign], and he's more versatile than Muller," Matthaus wrote, and warned that Portugal international Renato Sanches will also emerge as a competitor for the Germany star.
Matthaus wrote: "I am convinced that Renato Sanches will win significantly more minutes in the second half of the season."