Ballack back as Germany ponder changes for Austria test

The Chelsea midfielder needed nine stitches in a head wound after a clash of heads against Portsmouth on Saturday, but will play with the wound probably covered by a special plaster.

 Coach Joachim Loew has perhaps the bigger headache, though, as he attempts to improvise following the loss of around half a dozen players.

 Loew would have liked a more settled start to the year with only next month's match against Switzerland in Basle to come before he names his Euro 2008 squad.

 Moreover, tournament co-hosts Austria will also be one of his team's opponents in June in a group also featuring Poland and Croatia.

 Loew has put on a brave face, saying expectations should not be too high in any case so soon after the winter break.

 He will, however, be looking for an improved performance on recent matches. Since clinching qualification for Euro 2008 with a goalless draw in Ireland, Germany lost 3-0 at home to the Czech Republic and drew 0-0 at home to Wales but managed to beat Cyprus 4-0.

 Defenders Christoph Metzelder, Arne Friedrich, Clemens Fritz and Marcell Jensen as well as midfielder Torsten Frings and striker Oliver Neuville are absent.

 Loew has been buoyed by the form of 31-year-old Ballack since his return to the Chelsea side following ankle surgery.

 Ballack, who finished Saturday's Premier League game with his head bandaged, will play his first international since Germany's 2-1 defeat of the Czech Republic in Prague on March 24 last year.

 "We are very pleased that Michael is fully fit and returns after so long away from the national team," said Loew.

 "As captain and a leader, he plays a very important role in our European Championship planning."

   Loew was also pleased that Jens Lehmann was back in goal for Arsenal at the weekend, while the coach saw several players immediately back in form after the Bundesliga winter break.

 They included striker Kevin Kuranyi who scored twice in Schalke's 4-1 defeat of VfB Stuttgart, while two other Schalke players, Jermaine Jones and Heiko Westermann, could well get their first caps as Loew tries a few alternatives.

 Kuranyi scored all three goals when Germany beat Austria 3-1 in Vienna in August 2004, the last time the two nations met.

 Austria coach Josef Hickersberger will be hoping a good result over neighbours and rivals Germany will raise fragile confidence ahead of Euro 2008, being played in Austrian and Switzerland between June 7 and 29.

 Hickersberger has recalled Middlesbrough defender Emanuel Pogatetz, Braga striker Roland Linz and Heerenveen midfielder Thomas Prager to the squad.

 "The time for experiments is over," he said. "Nonetheless, the odd player could still force his way in with strong performances."

   Austria's last of only eight victories in 33 meetings against the Germans was a 4-1 win in Vienna in October 1986.

 That was also the first win since the "miracle of Cordoba" when Austria - with Hickersperger in the side - beat West Germany 3-2 at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.

 Hickersberger also has a friendly against the Netherlands next month before naming his squad, with matches against Nigeria and Malta then to come in the run-up to this summer's tournament.

DPA