BERLIN, May 6: Germany coach Rudi Voeller picked Sebastian Deisler in the 23-man World Cup squad he announced Monday despite doubts about the inspirational midfielder’s fitness.

Deisler, who has hardly played since last October, returned to action with his Hertha Berlin club only Saturday.

The gifted 22-year-old, who will play for Bayern Munich next season, had just recovered from knee surgery when he tore a thigh muscle in training last month.

Voeller also called up Hertha Berlin defender Marko Rehmer, who is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, in a squad with no major surprises for the Korea/Japan finals starting in 25 days’ time.

Bayern Munich midfielder Mehmet Scholl pulled out last month because he was not fully fit while Bayer Leverkusen central defender Jens Nowotny was ruled out with a knee injury sustained in last week’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United that sent his team through to the European Champions League final.

“The fact that Mehmet Scholl and Jens Nowotny pulled out does not change our aim, which is to reach the knock-out stage, hopefully by winning our group,” said Voeller, whose team meet Cameroon, Ireland and Saudi Arabia in group E.

“I believe in this team,” he added. “With the right spirit we can go very far.”

There were 14 survivors from the side who made a shock first-round exit from Euro 2000 in Germany’s worst ever performance at a major tournament.

Several hopefuls will be left behind, among them Werder Bremen’s versatile defender Frank Baumann and midfielder Lars Ricken from newly-crowned German champions Borussia Dortmund.

“It was not easy at all to have to call some players and tell them they were not in the squad,” said Voeller.

Bayern Munich striker Carsten Jancker was selected despite the fact that he has not scored a goal in the Bundesliga this season. TSV 1860 Munich’s Martin Max, joint top scorer in the German first division with 18 goals, was left out because he has virtually no international experience.

“That was a particularly difficult decision to make because Max’s goals obviously spoke for him, but I am convinced Jancker has the quality to be in the group,” said Voeller.

Dortmund, who play Feyenoord in the UEFA Cup final in Rotterdam Wednesday, and Bundesliga runners-up Bayer Leverkusen have five players each in the squad with only four from Bayern Munich.

Bayern’s Oliver Kahn, the Germany captain, is naturally the number one goalkeeper.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich), Jens Lehmann (Borussia Dortmund), Hans-Joerg Butt (Bayer Leverkusen).

Defenders: Thomas Linke (Bayern Munich), Christian Woerns, Sebastian Kehl, Christoph Metzelder, Joerg Heinrich (all Borussia Dortmund), Marko Rehmer (Hertha Berlin), Christian Ziege (Tottenham Hotspur).

Midfielders: Michael Ballack, Carsten Ramelow, Bernd Schneider (all Bayer Leverkusen), Sebastian Deisler (Hertha Berlin), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Jens Jeremies (Bayern Munich), Dietmar Hamann (Liverpool).

Strikers: Gerald Asamoah (Schalke 04), Oliver Bierhoff (Monaco), Oliver Neuville (Bayer Leverkusen), Carsten Jancker (Bayern Munich), Miroslav Klose (Kaiserslautern), Marco Bode (Werder Bremen).

On standby: Frank Rost (goalkeeper, Werder Bremen), Frank Baumann (defender, Werder Bremen), Ingo Hertzsch (defender, Hamburg SV), Stefan Beinlich (midfielder, Hertha Berlin), Joerg Boehme (midfielder, Schalke 04), Lars Ricken (midfielder, Borussia Dortmund), Thomas Brdaric (striker, Bayer Leverkusen), Martin Max (striker, TSV 1860 Munich).