Germany will be without its top two players when it faces Australia in the Davis Cup playoff later this month.

The winner of the September 14-16 series will remain in the top-tier World Group.

Captain Patrik Kuehnen did not call up 20th-ranked Philipp Kohlschreiber, who has criticised relations within the team and with Kuehnen.

Tommy Haas, ranked No.21, dropped out for family reasons.

Kuehnen picked 23rd-ranked Florian Mayer, Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, Philipp Petzschner and Benjamin Becker.

Australia’s Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter has named the five-man team of Bernard Tomic, Lleyton Hewitt, Matt Ebden, rookie James Duckworth and doubles hopeful Chris Guccione.