RheinEnergie Cologne travel to Cantu for their second FIBA EuroCup Group J game on Tuesday without Darren McLinton, who was released from the club at the weekend.

The 31-year-old averaged 10.9 points in the Bundesliga this season, but was absent from the team sheet for Sunday's 81-72 away win over TBB Trier.

Cologne took the surprise decision to release the player 24 hours prior to the game as part of their squad rebuilding programme.

"Our aim at the start of the season was to build a team that could compete in the Liga and FIBA EuroCup, which would reach their peak around early 2006," said business manager Walter Putz on the club's website.

"That means we have to make new signings while, sadly, having to let players go.

"We wish Darren McLinton all the best for the rest of his career."

The arrival of Michael-Hakim Jordan appears to have hastened McLinton's departure after 11 games of the season.

"Darren is a good player, but the games and our experience over the last few months tells us that we need a new person in that position," commented director of sport Stephan Baeck.

Looking to the future, Cologne travel to northern Italy on Tuesday looking to maintain their excellent start to the second group phase of the EuroCup.

While it is probably never a good time to face Cantu in their own back yard, now may be as good a time as any after they lost 82-81 to Roseto at the weekend, their fourth straight defeat.

But Cantu have been a different force in Europe, winning every one of their home games in the first round to qualify for the second phase.

They made a bad start, losing 59-58 to Maroussi Honda Athens in their opening fixture and will be aiming to bounce back from that defeat at the Pala Vertical Vision on Tuesday.