Loew drops 6 German World Cup players

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany coach Joachim Loew dropped six World Cup players from the 23-man squad to play Kazakhstan in a Euro 2012 qualifier and Australia in a friendly next week.

As expected, Loew also did not select former captain Michael Ballack, who still has not reached top form after a long injury layoff.

Loew picked one newcomer, midfielder Sven Bender of Bundesliga leader Borussia Dortmund.

Andre Schuerrle of Mainz, with one previous appearance, was also included, along with fellow midfielder Toni Kroos of Bayern Munich. Dortmund midfielder Mario Goetze, with two caps, and teammate and defender Marcel Schmelzer, with one, also return.

Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira and Mesut Oezil are both in the squad.

But the coach dropped six players who were on the team that finished third at the World Cup — Marko Marin, Cacau, Serdar Tasci, Piotr Trochowski, Marcell Jansen and Stefan Kiessling. All are struggling with form in their clubs.

Loew selected only two strikers, Bayern Munich teammates Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose. Gomez leads the Bundesliga with 18 goals, but Klose was getting little playing time. Lukas Podolski of Cologne was also included, but was listed as a midfielder.

Germany plays Kazakhstan on March 26 in Kaiserslautern, and Australia three days later in Moenchengladbach.

Loew's team leads Group A of qualifying for next year's European Championship in Poland and Ukraine with four wins from four games.

Loew has said he will give some of the reserves and newcomers playing time against Australia, the Asian Cup runner-up.



Germany:

Goalkeepers: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Neuer (Schalke), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen).

Defenders: Dennis Aogo (Hamburger SV), Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich), Jerome Boateng (Manchester City), Arne Friedrich (Wolfsburg), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund).

Midfielders: Sven Bender (Borussia Dortmund), Mario Goetze (Borussia Dortmund), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Oezil (Real Madrid), Lukas Podolski (Cologne), Andre Schuerrle (Mianz), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Christian Traesch (Stuttgart).

Forwards: Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich).

Loew: Ballack baffled by Chelsea’s decision

COLOGNE: Michael Ballack does not understand his club Chelsea’s decision to axe him from their Champions League squad for the group stages, Germany’s head coach Joachim Loew revealed yesterday.

Ballack, 30, is hoping to return soon from April’s ankle surgery, but misses Germany’s Euro 2008 qualifier against Wales on Saturday, the friendly with Romania next Wednesday and has now been left out of Chelsea’s plans.

Having this week been axed from Chelsea’s Champions League squad for the autumn’s group stages, Germany’s captain is baffled, according to Loew, adding to rumours in the British press Ballack could be on the way out of Stamford Bridge.

“I discussed it with Michael and he could not fully explain Chelsea’s decision to me,” said Loew in a press conference yesterday ahead of Saturday’s Group D Euro 2008 qualifier.

“Chelsea’s doctors estimate he will not be able to play for two to three more months, but Michael is much more optimistic and expects to play sooner.

“For us, Chelsea’s decision isn’t justifiable,” added Loew who plans to recall Ballack for October’s Euro 2008 internationals with the Czech Republic and the Republic of Ireland. – AFP