Ballack in Germany squad for Euro qualifiers

BERLIN, May 22 (Reuters) Captain Michael Ballack is in the squad for Germany's Euro 2008 Group D qualifying matches against San Marino and Slovakia at the start of next month, the German soccer federation (DFB) said today.

Ballack, who missed the end of the season with Chelsea and had an ankle operation, was working on his fitness and could be available to face both San Marino on June 2 in Nuremberg and Slovakia in Hamburg on June 6, the DFB said.

''Michael would really like to play, at least in the second match,'' coach Joachim Loew said on the DFB Web site (www.dfb.de).

''But we will not take any risks.'' Loew included Mario Gomez in the 21-man squad after the Stuttgart striker recovered from knee and hand injuries and Werder Bremen forward Miroslav Klose is available again after his suspension for the 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic.

Among players who featured in last year's World Cup, Bayern Munich pair Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski, Hertha Berlin's Arne Friedrich and Bremen's Tim Borowski are all unavailable.

Germany head Group D on goal difference with 13 points from five matches, the same as the Czech Republic and Ireland. The Czechs have played six matches and the Irish seven.

Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart) Defenders: Gonzalo Castro (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Friedrich (Mainz), Clemens Fritz, Per Mertesacker (both Werder Bremen), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund), Marcell Jansen (Borussia Moenchengladbach) Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Roberto Hilbert, Thomas Hitzlsperger (both VfB Stuttgart), Simon Rolfes, Bernd Schneider (both Bayer Leverkusen), Jan Schlaudraff (Alemannia Aachen), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg SV) Forwards: Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart), Patrick Helmes (Cologne), Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke 04).

REUTERS AB VC2330