Berti Vogts, Germany's coach, has elevated Borussia Dortmund's under-21 international captain Lars Ricken to the senior squad for next week's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland in Belfast.
Ricken, one of German football's brightest young talents, played a major role in Dortmund's successful European Cup campaign last season, including crucial goals in the semi-finals against Manchester United and in the final victory over Juventus. "He has played excellently in the three Bundesliga matches so far and was the best player among the under-21s," Vogts commented.
The only other uncapped player in the 22 man squad is Schalke's Thomas Linke.
Thirty-one-year-old Werder Bremen defender Dieter Eilts, touted as the discovery of Germany's successful Euro '96 campaign, has been dropped after a string of poor displays.
Europe's Footballer of the Year Matthias Sammer is injured while Thomas Haessler is celebrating his return to the fold after a nine-month absence because of separate bone breaks in his ankle midway through last season.
Vogts' greatest concerns lie with his three players in Italy - Oliver Bierhoff, Christian Ziege and Juergen Klinsmann - who have yet to kick a ball in anger because the Italian football season has not started yet.
Germany (Squad): Goalkeepers: O Kahn (Bayern Munich), A Koepke (Olympique Marseille); Defenders: M Babbel, T Helmer (Bayern), J Kohler, S Reuter (Borussia Dortmund), T Linker (Schalke), J Nowotny, C Woerns (Bayer Leverkusen); Midfielders: M Basler, T Strunz, M Tarnat (Bayern), J Heinrich, A Moeller (Dortmund), T Haessler (Karlsruhe), D Wosz (Bochum), C Ziege (AC Milan); Forwards: O Bierhoff (Udinese), J Klinsmann (Sampdoria), F Bobic (Stuttgart), U Kirsten (Leverkusen), L Ricken (Dortmund).
