Berlin - Although he slapped captain Michael Ballack in his last international, Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski will be in the German squad for a two-match tour of Asia, Germany coach Joachim Loew said on Monday.

In an interview published in Monday's edition of Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Loew said that Podolski was on his last chance.

"He has reached the limit. The next time he makes such a mistake there would be consequences," he said.

"If he does something like that again, he will not play for Germany as long as I am national team coach."

Loew said that before slapping Ballack, Podolski had always been at his best behaviour, which is why the coach decided not to punish him.

Podolski will not be meeting up with Ballack on the Asia trip as the Chelsea midfielder will be competing in the FA Cup final against Everton on May 30.

Loew said that Podolski had used up his credit, but that it made no sense to fine him, as happens in clubs.

He also said Podolski's case was very different from that of Kevin Kuranyi, who drove home during the half-time break of a national team game after he was not nominated as a substitute. Loew subsequently kicked him out of the team permanently.

"The one action was something that happened at the spur of a moment, whereas the other one was planned," Loew said.

The coach would find it difficult not to take Podolski for the two games on May 29 in Shanghai against China and in Dubai on June 2 against the United Arab Emirates, as he has so many other withdrawals.

Of the four goalkeepers that are in contention for next year's World Cup in South Africa, only Robert Enke is available and in total Loew will be without more than a dozen other players who have club commitments.

Joining Ballack on the list of players not available are Werder Bremen's Torsten Frings, Clemens Fritz, Per Mertesacker and Mesut Oezil.

Bremen's opponents in the German cup final, Bayer Leverkusen, have Rene Adler, Simon Rolfes, Patrick Helmes and Stefan Kiessling who will miss out on the trip.

Furthermore, German under-21 internationals Manuel Neuer, Sami Khedira, Marco Marin and Andreas Beck will also have to miss the trip as they prepare for the European under-21 championships.

Loew, however, said that he is not too concerned. "I already have a concrete plan how to go about replacing them," he said without sharing the plan though. (dpa)