Marco Reus has denied staying at Borussia Dortmund shows a lack of ambition, insisting he is happy to remain at the club.
Reus has been regularly linked with a move to either Bayern Munich or the Premier League, but the 26-year-old, looking ahead to Saturday's Bundesliga match against Werder Bremen, is content.
Dortmund are still in the Bundesliga title race, although they have a five-point gap to make up on leaders Bayern over the last seven games of the season.
"I opted for BVB because I need my regular environment where I feel at home," Reus said.
"It has nothing to do that I am not able to handle the pressure or what is permanently speculated. We are also measured in wins and trophies here at Dortmund.
"Domestically, we just have the problems right now that Bayern constantly play on a level which we have not reached yet. But we want to get there and we feel that we are absolutely capable of it."
Dortmund can guarantee qualification for next season's Champions League with victory against Bremen, who they have beaten eight times in a row at home in the league.
Thomas Tuchel's side, who have set a Bundesliga record by conceding just three goals in the first 10 games of 2016, have no major injury concerns for the game.
Claudio Pizarro is a doubt for Bremen after hurting his back on international duty with Peru and the club's top goalscorer joins a lengthy injury list that includes goalkeeper Raphael Wolf and Aron Johannsson (both hip), as well as Milos Veljkovic (toe) and Marcel Hilssner (knee).
Pizarro missing the game would be a blow for Bremen as the 37-year-old is one of the league's most in-form players, scoring 10 goals in 2016, which only Bayern's Robert Lewandowski can match. Pizarro has also equalled Marco Bode's record total of 101 Bundesliga goals for the club.
Coach Viktor Skrypnyk said Bremen will need Dortmund to underperform if they are to get a positive result on Saturday.
"You are going up against another tough opponent to get three points. We will do everything we can to take something," he said.
"We'll have to give everything and hope that Dortmund don't have their best day. Dortmund have a great stadium and a great team. They're fighting for the title, we'll do whatever we can.
"If Claudio doesn't play it'll be a big blow. But we'll still have to go about our normal game."
Papy Djilobodji, the centre-back on loan from Chelsea, is suspended for the match and Skrypnyk added: "He is another regular starter who's missing out. There are several others who can play there."
Key Opta facts:
- Borussia Dortmund’s tally of 64 points is their highest at this stage of a Bundesliga season. Eight sides who lifted the title had fewer to their name after 27 games.
- Werder are the first side in Bundesliga history not to keep a single clean sheet in any of their first 27 games of a season.
- Henrikh Mkhitaryan has scored 10 goals this term – a new personal best. BVB have gone on to win the last 19 league games in which he's netted.
- Adrian Ramos has been directly involved in a Bundesliga goal every 50 minutes this term (5 goals, 3 assists) – the best average in the league.
