German coach casts low aspirations on Ballack return

FRANKFURT: German captain Michael Ballack returned to the national squad on Tuesday for next month's two Euro 2008 qualifiers after being out injured but coach Joachim Low was not optimistic that he would start either match.

Low said that the Chelsea midfielder wanted to play in one of the two qualifiers against San Marino and Slovakia next month but had yet to start training after undergoing an ankle operation.

Ballack, who has not played for last weekend's FA Cup winners Chelsea for a month, was called up along with Per Mertesacker and Mario Gomez, who have also recovered from injury.

"Michael would like to play, at least in the second match, but we are not going to take any risks with him," admitted Low, who was assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann as Germany reached last year's World Cup semi-finals.

"He will resume training next Tuesday when the squad comes together."

Should Ballack fail to recover full fitness for the two matches then Miroslav Klose will take on the captain's armband, though, the normally prolific striker has been dreadfully out of form since the turn of the year scoring just twice in the Bundesliga.

Low will, however, have to do without the injured trio of striker Lukas Podolski and midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger and Tim Borowski, who are all sidelined with knee injuries, for the matches on June 2 and June 6.