Czech Republic, Austria squads for friendlies against Malta

The Czech Republic and Austria named their preliminary squads ahead of the EURO 2016 – the preparation for which includes friendly matches against Malta.

Malta takes on the Czech Republic on Friday 27 at the Kufstein Arena in Kufstein, Austria while four days later, Austria hosts Malta at the Wörthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt.

Czech Republic coach Pavel Vrba on Thursday announced a 28-man provisional squad for the Euro 2016 finals, led by Arsenal duo Petr Cech and Tomas Rosicky. The 35-year-old Rosicky, the team captain, played only 19 minutes for Arsenal last season because of injuries but he has recently managed three games for the reserve team. Missing only injured Sparta Prague midfielder Martin Frydek, Vrba has called up one newcomer, 20-year-old striker Patrik Schick of Bohemians Prague.

Vrba will have to trim the squad back to 23 players by May 31, but he said he would like to do that before the team leaves for a training camp in Austria on May 25. The team will play friendlies with Russia and Malta in Austria before taking on South Korea in Prague on June 5 in the final game before the June 10-July 10 tournament.

The squad is made up of:
goalkeepers Petr Cech (Arsenal/ENG), Tomas Vaclik (Basel/SUI), Tomas Koubek (Liberec);
defenders Theodor Gebre Selassie (Bremen/GER), Pavel Kaderabek (Hoffenheim/GER), David Limbersky (Viktoria Pilsen), Marek Suchy (Basel/SUI), Michal Kadlec (Fenerbahce/TUR), Tomas Sivok (Bursaspor/TUR), Roman Hubnik (Viktoria Pilsen), Daniel Pudil (Sheffield Wednesday/ENG), Ondrej Zahustel (Sparta Prague);
midfielders Borek Dockal (Sparta Prague), Jiri Skalak (Brighton/ENG), Vladimir Darida (Hertha Berlin/GER), Daniel Kolar (Viktoria Pilsen), Ladislav Krejci (Sparta Prague), Josef Sural (Sparta Prague), David Pavelka (Kasimpasa/TUR), Jaroslav Plasil (Bordeaux/FRA), Lukas Marecek (Sparta Prague), Matej Vydra (Reading/ENG), Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal/ENG), Jan Kovarik (Viktoria Pilsen);
forwards Milan Skoda (Slavia Prague), Tomas Necid (Bursaspor/TUR), David Lafata (Sparta Prague), Patrik Schick (Bohemians Prague).

Last week, Austria coach Marcel Koller has announced no new names in his preliminary 24-man squad for next month’s EURO 2016. Austria, who face warm-up games against Malta and Netherlands, are in Group F at Euro 2016 alongside Hungary, Portugal and Iceland.

Koller’s choices include only two players from Austrian clubs – Austria Vienna goalkeeper Robert Almer and Salzburg midfielder Valentino Lazaro – while Bayern Munich defender David Alaba is among 16 players based in Germany.

The squad is made up of:
goalkeepers Robert Almer (FK Austria Wien), Heinz Lindner (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Ramazan Özcan (FC Ingolstadt 04/GER);
defenders Aleksandar Dragovic (Dynamo Kiew/UKR), Christian Fuchs (Leicester City FC/ENG), György Garics (SV Darmstadt 98/GER), Martin Hinteregger (Borussia Mönchengladbach/GER), Florian Klein (VfB Stuttgart/GER), Sebastian Prödl (FC Watford/ENG), Markus Suttner (FC Ingolstadt 04/GER), Kevin Wimmer (Tottenham Hotspur FC/ENG);
midfielders David Alaba (FC Bayern München/GER), Marko Arnautovic (Stoke City FC/ENG), Julian Baumgartlinger (1. FSV Mainz 05/GER), Martin Harnik (VfB Stuttgart/GER), Stefan Ilsanker (RB Leipzig/GER), Jakob Jantscher (FC Luzern/SWI), Zlatko Junuzovic (SV Werder Bremen/GER), Valentino Lazaro (FC RB Salzburg), Marcel Sabitzer (RB Leipzig/GER), Alessandro Schöpf (FC Schalke 04/GER);
forwards Lukas Hinterseer (FC Ingolstadt 04/GER), Rubin Okotie (TSV 1860 München/GER), Marc Janko (FC Basel 1893/SWI).

Meanwhile the provisional Malta squad does not include goalkeeper Andrew Hogg and midfielder Andre Schembri but features England-born winger Luke Gambin of Barnet and Under-21 internationals Cain Attard, Ryan Camenzuli, Llywelyn Cremona and Luke Montebello. Jonathan Caruana is expected to miss the trip due to an injury.

The players in the Malta squad are:
goalkeepers Henry Bonello (Valletta) and Justin Haber (Hibs);
defenders Andrei Agius (Hibs), Cain Attard (Birkirkara), Steve Borg (Aris Limassol – CYP), Ryan Camenzuli (Birkirkara), Ryan Camilleri (Valletta), Jonathan Caruana (Valletta), Clayton Failla (Hibs), Clifford Gatt Baldacchino (Sliema), Zack Muscat (Akragas – ITA);
midfielders Roderick Briffa (Valletta), Llywelyn Cremona (Valletta), Paul Fenech (Balzan), Luke Gambin (Barnet – ENG), Bjorn Kristensen (Hibs), Rowen Muscat (Pavia – ITA), Steve Pisani (Floriana), Gareth Sciberras (Birkirkara);
forwards Alfred Effiong (Balzan), Jean Paul Farrugia (Sliema), Michael Mifsud (Valletta), Luke Montebello (Tarxien).