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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -Germany coach Joachim Loew picked rookie defender Serdar Tasci in his squad to play Belgium in an international friendly next week, while he begins his search for a replacement for retired goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
Lehmann retired from the national team last week prompting Loew to select Hannover's Robert Enke and Bayer Leverkusen's Rene Adler. Both were in the squad for the European Championship but did not play.
Loew has said he will test several candidates before deciding who will be Germany's goalkeeper at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The game against Belgium in Nuremberg on Aug. 20 is Germany's first since losing 1-0 to Spain in July's European Championship final.
As well as introducing Stuttgart defender Tasci to the squad, Loew also named three players who were dropped in the final cut before the European tournament - Jermaine Jones of Schalke, Marko Marin of Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes.
In all, the coach retained 17 players from his Euro squad. Tasci has been called up before but has yet to make his debut.
Veteran striker Oliver Neuville and David Odonkor of Real Betis Sevilla were dropped, while defender Arne Friedrich of Hertha Berlin, midfielder Tim Borowski of Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen defender Per Mertesacker are injured.
Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski was selected as midfielder after playing in the left midfield at the European Championship.
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Squad:
Goalkeepers: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Enke (Hannover 96).
Defenders: Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen), Marcell Jansen (Bayern Munich), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid), Serdar Tasci (VfB Stuttgart), Heiko Westermann (FC Schalke 04).
Midfield: Michael Ballack (FC Chelsea), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Jermaine Jones (FC Schalke 04), Marko Marin (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (FC Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburger SV).
Forwards: Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart), Patrick Helmes (Bayer Leverkusen), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Kevin Kuranyi (FC Schalke 04).
