Hamburg - Germany coach Joachim Loew will have some clear words to say to the squad he names Thursday for next week's classic encounter with old rivals England.

Loew is to use the opportunity of the friendly international in Berlin to lay down some rules and guidelines on how he expects his players to behave for the rest of the qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

It follows remarks in public by captain Michael Ballack and midfield partner Torsten Frings which were seen as critical of the coach and threatened to upset the harmony in the Germany squad.

All players - even those who may be sidelined with injuries - will be summoned, in consultation with the players' respective clubs, to hear Loew address what he now expects from his squad.

"It is important to me to speak about this issue and to put forward certain things on the road to the 2010 World Cup," he told Kicker sports magazine.

Ballack could well be one of those injured players, with the 32-year-old Chelsea player still sidelined after undergoing surgery to remove thickened nerve tissue on both feet last month.

Ballack now only has a chance of featuring if he plays for Chelsea in Wednesday's Carling Cup match against Burnley or Saturday's Premier League encounter at West Bromwich Albion.

Loew had earlier this month summoned Ballack for talks in Germany following the player's critical comments in a newspaper interview, which left the coach disappointed and dismayed.

It was not the first time this season that Loew has had to deal with off-field issues, following a dispute involving Ballack and team manager Oliver Bierhoff which had been simmering for some time.

Last week he then met Frings in Berlin after the 31-year-old Werder Bremen midfielder had publicly complained at being left out of the last two World Cup qualifiers.

Ballack had bemoaned the fact that senior players were not being shown enough respect following the decision to leave stalwart Frings out of the side for the last two World Cup qualifiers.

Both Frings and Ballack were forced to apologize for airing their feelings in public.

Loew has also been distracted by Kevin Kuranyi's decision to walk out during last month's World Cup qualifier against Russia, a match he was watching in Dortmund as a non-playing squad member. The Schalke striker has now been banished by Loew.

Injuries to several first-choice players will give Loew the opportunity of introducing one or two fresh faces against England at the Olympic Stadium, a match he had in any case wanted to use to test some players.

Wolfsburg's uncapped Marcel Schaefer is one newcomer who could be called up in place of the injured left-back Philipp Lahm. Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling should also get the nod now that Kuranyi is no longer in the frame.

Bayern Munich's Tim Borowski has also done well enough recently to join the intensive competition in midfield, giving Loew another alternative to Frings. (dpa)