Mike Hanke has tonsillitis and is out of Germany's squad to play the Republic of Ireland in the opening European qualifer in Stuttgart on Saturday.

The VfL Wolfsburg striker was never likely to start the game but still it represents a further blow to new manager Joachim Loew who is already without four defenders from Germany's World Cup squad.

Hanke is fortunate to still hold a squad place considering he is out of favour with his club but Loew has remained faithful to the panel that played so well to finish third at the World finals.

Loew still has four strikers to select from in the shape of Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski, Oliver Neuville and Gerald Asamoah and he will not be replacing Hanke.

Alexander Madlung - a clubmate of Hanke's - was added to the squad yesterday as cover for Christoph Metzelder who undergoes knee surgery this week.

Fellow defenders Per Mertesacker, Robert Huth and Jens Nowotny were already ruled out.