Andy Murray will not play in Great Britain’s Davis Cup quarter-final against Germany on Friday with captain Leon Smith opting to stick with the team who beat Kazakhstan.

Smith had previously said the decision over whether to recall Murray would be one of his “more difficult decisions”.

Murray, 32, was rested for Thursday’s Group E victory over Kazakhstan which booked their last-eight spot in Madrid.

He won his singles match in the opening group match against the Netherlands.

But former world number one Murray had looked sluggish as he laboured to a three-set win over Dutch world number 179 Tallon Griekspoor on Wednesday, admitting afterwards he was still “a couple of kilos” heavier than he would have liked after gaining weight while taking time off with his newborn son and family.

In the Scot’s absence, Kyle Edmund played one of his finest matches of the year to beat Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin before Dan Evans was overpowered by Alexander Bublik in three sets.

British number one Evans, 29, is yet to win in the Madrid finals, although Smith is backing the 29-year-old to “find a way” to win.

Great Britain’s quarter-final starts at 16:30 GMT, with Edmund taking on Philipp Kohlschreiber before Evans faces Jan-Lennard Struff. If the best-of-three tie goes to a decisive doubles rubber, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski will play Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies.

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