Malta coach Pietro Ghedin included two new faces in his provisional squad for this week’s 2014 World Cup away qualifier against the Czech Republic.
Hibernians midfielder Ayrton Azzopardi and Terence Vella, the Ħamrun Spartans striker, were given the opportunity to practise with the senior squad that is currently stepping up prepa-rations ahead of Friday’s Group B qualifier.
Azzopardi has been a regular in the Hibernians squad this season and his qualities did not go unnoticed, it seems.
In fact, the 18-year-old is held in high regard by the Malta FA technical staff and is also set to form part of Ray Farrugia’s U-21 squad for the upcoming European Championship qualifying cam-paign.
Age limit means Vella will no longer be available for selection for Malta U-21s.
The 22-year-old has made 10 competitive appearances in the Euro 2013 U-21 qualifiers and netted five goals. The former Mosta and Birkirkara striker will now look to impress Ghedin in the build-up to the match in Plzen.
There was no place in the 23-man selection for Vancouver Whitecaps striker Etienne Barbara as the national team will also be without three key players on Friday.
Mosta striker Daniel Bog-danovic is sidelined with a fractured foot and midfielder Ryan Fenech, of Valletta, is ruled out with an adductor injury.
Hibernians wing-back Clayton Failla will again be out of the equation as he is currently serving a four-month doping ban.
However, Ghedin will have foreign-based trio – goalkeeper Andrew Hogg (E.N. Paralimini – Cyprus), defender Andrei Agius (Latina – Italy) and forward Andre Schembri (Omonia Nicosia – Cyprus) – available.
The Malta coach is likely to trim his squad to 18 players on Tuesday, having assessed the condition of all his players, particularly Andrew Cohen, of Hibernians, and Sliema goal-keeper Henry Bonello who both cried out with injuries during yesterday’s Premier League match at the National Stadium.
Last week, Czech coach Michal Bilek dropped Sparta Prague striker Vaclav Kadlec from his squad ahead of the double header against Malta and Bulgaria.
Star player Tomas Rosicky, of Arsenal, is still out with injury as the Czechs will be looking to score their first goal in three official matches since the Euro Championship in summer.
The Malta FA contingent for the Czech Republic is expected to leave on Wednesday.
23-man selection
Goalkeepers: H. Bonello (Sliema), J. Haber (Mosta), A. Hogg (Enosis Neon Paralimini).
Defenders: A. Agius (Latina), S. Borg (Valletta), R. Camilleri (Hibs), J. Car-uana (Valletta), L. Dimech (Mosta), E. Herrera (Birkirkara), A. Muscat (Sliema), J. Zerafa (Birkirkara).
Midfielders: E. Agius (Valletta), A. Azzopardi (Hibernians), S. Bajada (Valletta), R. Briffa (Valletta), P. Fenech (Birkirkara), J. Mintoff (Sliema), G. Sciberras (Birkirkara).
Forwards: A. Cohen (Hibs), J. Galea (Melita), M. Mifsud (Valletta), A. Schembri (Omonia), T. Vella (Ħamrun Spartans).