Malta coach Pietro Ghedin has named a 21-strong squad for to-morrow’s 2014 World Cup Group B qualifier against Denmark at the National Stadium (kick-off 8 pm).
Defenders Luke Dimech, of Valletta, and Sliema captain Alex Muscat are the two notable ab-sentees as both are suspended while Floriana forward Daniel Bogda-novic has been overlooked.
The absence of Dimech and Muscat, who are expected to rejoin the squad ahead of Tuesday’s qualifier against Bulgaria, coupled with fitness concerns of Valletta centre-back Jonathan Caruana, who has not seen much first-team action in the first weeks of the season, have left Ghedin with a shortage of defenders for the clash with the Danes.
After Sassari Torres defender Andrei Agius, who has 35 inter-national games under his belt, and Caruana, who has 27 caps, the most experienced centre-half on Ghedin’s list is Ryan Camilleri, of Hibernians, who has played seven times for his country.
The only uncapped player is Balzan right-back Justin Grioli .
Apart from Agius, the other two foreign-based players in the Malta squad are forward Andrè Schembri, who plays for Cypriot side AC Omonia, and goalkeeper Andrew Hogg, who is in the books of Greek Super League club Kalloni.
The Malta squad checked in at the Grand Hotel Excelsior, their base for home games, at around noon yesterday.
Malta got their first points on board in Group B after a 1-0 win in Armenia in June. They are three points behind the struggling Danes whose qualifying hopes were all but ended in June when they crashed to a home 4-0 defeat to Armenia.
Italy are top of the group with 14 points followed by Bulgaria on 10 and the Czech Republic on nine.
Armenia are level with Denmark on six points.
Missing from the Danish squad for the Malta trip is Nicklas Bend-tner, the out-of-favour Arsenal striker who failed to secure a move elsewhere this summer.
The squads
Malta
Keepers: H. Bonello (Sliema Wan-derers); J. Haber (Birkirkara); A. Hogg (Kalloni).
Defenders: A. Agius (Sassari Torres); J. Borg (Sliema); R. Camilleri (Hibs); J. Caruana (Valletta); C. Failla (Hibs); C. Gatt Baldacchino (Sliema Wanderers); J. Grioli (Balzan).
Midfielders: R. Briffa (Valletta); P. Fenech (Birkirkara); R. Fenech (Valletta); E. Herrera (Birkirkara); J. Mintoff (Sliema); R. Muscat (Birkir-kara); G. Sciberras (Birkirkara).
Forwards: A. Cohen (Hibs); A. Schembri (Omonia); M. Mifsud (unattached); T. Vella (Birkirkara).
Denmark
Keepers: J. Hansen (Evian); K. Schmei-chel (Leicester); S. Andersen (Betis).
Defenders: D. Agger (Liverpool); P. An-kersen (Esbjerg); A. Bjelland (Twente); J. Okore (Aston Villa); L. Jacobsen (Copenhagen); N. Boilesen (Ajax), S. Kjaer (Lille).
Midfielders: C. Sloth (AGF); C. Eriksen (Tottenham); L. Andreasen (Hanover); N. Zimling (Mainz); R. Falk (OB); T. Delaney (Copenhagen); W. Jorgensen (Stuttgart).
Forwards: E. Larsen (OB); M. Braith-waite (Toulouse); M. Krohn-Dehli (Celta Vigo); N.B. Nielsen (Ros-enborg); N. Pedersen (Gent); N. Jorgensen (Copenhagen); S. Makienok (Brondby); V. Fischer (Ajax).