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Ballack has yet to play for Chelsea this season because of his ankle injury, while Gomez, player of the year in the Bundesliga last season, has a thigh problem.

Midfielders Torsten Frings and Tim Borowski were also left out of a 20-man squad because of injury.

Midfielder Sami Khedira and defender Serdar Tasci - both of German champions Stuttgart - were called up for the first time by coach Joachim Loew.

Loew also called up uncapped Christian Pander after Clemens Fritz became the second defender to pull out on Friday. Fritz, the Werder Bremen right back, has a stomach muscle injury.

Bayern Munich left back Marcell Jansen withdrew from the squad on Thursday after suffering a calf injury.

Germany are five points clear at the top of Euro 2008 qualifying group D. Their next competitive match is away to Wales on September 8th.

Squad:

Timo Hildebrand (Valencia), Jens Lehmann (Arsenal); Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Christian Pander (Schalke), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid), Serdar Tasci (Stuttgart); Roberto Hilbert (Stuttgart), Thomas Hitzlsperger (Stuttgart), Sami Khedira (Stuttgart), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotrv Trochowski (Hamburg); Patrick Helmes (Cologne), Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke).

Reuters