Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger believes team-mate Franck Ribery is one of the top five footballers in the world.

Ribery joined Bayern from Marseille back in 2007 and has since established himself as one of the best players in the German Bundesliga.

Already this season, the French international has recorded eight goals and eight assists in 17 league appearances, despite having a couple of injury problems.

And Schweinsteiger believes Ribery can lay his claim to being one of the world's top players.

"Franck is a very important player for Bayern," Schweinsteiger told SID.

"He is among the five best players in the world.

"It is important for [us to meet] our targets that he is healthy and fit."

Schweinsteiger himself has missed a significant portion of Bayern's campaign with injury, but is now back in action and looks set to play an integral role as the Bavarian outfit look to challenge for the Bundesliga.