Germany call up Freier after two midfielders ruled out

BERLIN, Nov 13 (Reuters) Germany coach Joachim Loew called up Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Paul Freier on Monday for a Euro 2008 qualifier against Cyprus after Bernd Schneider and Piotr Trochowski were ruled out with injuries.

Schneider suffered a leg muscle strain in Bayer Leverkusen's 3-2 defeat against Bayern Munich on Saturday while Trochowski suffered an Achilles injury in Hamburg SV's 1-1 draw with Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Yesterday, Loew called up Hanover goalkeeper Robert Enke to replace Arsenal's Jens Lehmann, who is out with a heavy cold. VfB Stuttgart keeper Timo Hildebrand, Lehmann's backup, will almost certainly start the Group D match in Nicosia on Wednesday.

''We need players who are 100 per cent fit,'' said Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff. On Sunday it was not clear how seriously Schneider and Trochowski were hurt.

''It wouldn't make any sense to take Bernd or Piotr with us.'' Freier, 27, has 18 caps for Germany and he last appeared in a 2-2 draw against Argentina on Feb. 9, 2005.

''We're delighted to have him back,'' said Bierhoff. ''He's had a very good run at Bayer Leverkusen and he's well-acquainted with our team.'' Loew will also be without injured strikers Lukas Podolski and Gerald Asamoah, midfielders Tim Borowski, Sebastian Kehl and Sebastian Deisler as well as defenders Christoph Metzfelder, Marcell Jansen and Alexander Madlung.

Germany have maximum points from three games having beaten Ireland, San Marino and Slovakia. Cyprus have three points from three games.

REUTERS PM PM1524