National coach Pietro Ghedin and Malta Under-21 coach Silvio Vella named the squads for the two friendly matches in programme on Tuesday. The senior side hosts Iceland at the National Stadium, kick-off at 19:00 while the Under-21 side takes on Cyprus at the Victor Tedesco Stadium, kick-off at 14:30.
Ghedin made only one change to the squad as Tarxien defender Daniel Zerafa – a former member of the Under-21 squad – replaces Zach Muscat who returned to Italy due to club commitments at Arezzo.
The players selected by Ghedin are therefore:
goalkeepers Justin Haber (Floriana), Andrew Hogg (Hibs);
defenders Andrei Agius (Hibs), Steve Borg (Valletta), Ryan Camenzuli (Floriana), Ryan Camilleri (Valletta), Clayton Failla (Hibs), Sam Magri (Dover), Zach Muscat (Arezzo), Joseph Zerafa (Birkirkara);
midfielders Luke Gambin (Barnet), Bjorn Kristensen (Hibs), Rowen Muscat (Birkirkara), Andre’ Schembri (Boavista), Gareth Sciberras (Birkirkara), Ryan Scicluna (Birkirkara), Steve Pisani (Floriana);
forwards Alfred Effiong (Balzan), Jean Paul Farrugia (Sliema), Michael Mifsud (Valletta).
Meanwhile Jamie Azzopardi (Gzira), Iousef Meli (Zebbug), Dylan Agius (Pietà) and Jacob Walker (St. Andrews) were dropped from the provisional squad Under-21 coach Silvio Vella had named last week.
The squad is therefore made up of:
goalkeepers Jake Galea (St. Andrews), Philip Schranz (Tarxien); defenders Karl Micallef (Pietà), Christian Degabriele (Pietà), Kurt Zammit (Tarxien), Dunstan Vella (Hibs), Daniel Buckle (Hibs);
midfielders Sean Ciprott (Balzan), Zachary Scerri (Gzira), Juan Carlos Corbalan (Gzira), Jake Grech (Hamrun), Neil Pace Cocks (Pietà), James Brincat (Birkirkara), Dexter Xuereb (Mosta); forwards Jurgen Suda (Valletta), Jurgen Degabriele (Hibs), Joseph Mbong (Hibs), Kyrian Nwoko (St. Andrews).
Photo: Copyright © Paul Zammit Cutajar