Luboslav Penev... Bulgaria coachLuboslav Penev... Bulgaria coach

Bulgaria midfielders Todor Nedelev and Vladimir Gadzhev will miss their Euro 2016 Group H qualifier against Malta on Sunday due to injuries, the domestic football union (BFU) said.

Nedelev, 21, has a foot problem and Gadzhev, capped 25 times, will be out for up to three months after undergoing surgery to repair torn knee ligaments.

Coach Luboslav Penev called up CSKA Sofia midfielder Marquinhos to cover their absence.

Marquinhos, a 32-year-old Brazilian-born playmaker, replaces Levski Sofia’s Gadzhev who was injured during Friday’s 1-0 league defeat against Beroe Stara Zagora.

Botev Plovdiv midfielder Milen Gamakov, 20, could earn his first cap while experienced defender Alexander Tunchev is back in the squad after a five-year absence.

Penev is under pressure following defeats to Croatia and Norway, leaving Bulgaria fourth in Group H. However, last month he got the backing of the soccer authorities in his country despite growing criticism over a poor start to the qualifying campaign.

“He gets a second chance, it’s not the right time for his replacement,” Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) president Borislav Mihaylov was quoted as saying after an executive committee meeting.

Under-fire Penev was criticised by local media for a lack of consistency in his squad selections.

He named Nikolay Mihaylov in his starting line-up for the Norway qualifier despite the goalkeeper playing only once at club level this year. Mihaylov, the son of the BFU chief, has again made the cut for Sunday’s match.

Penev was appointed Bulgaria coach in November 2011, replacing Lothar Matthaeus, whose contract was not renewed following a dismal Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

The 48-year-old, who led Litex Lovech to the Bulgarian league title in 2011, is known for his hardline approach to discipline and bringing through young players.

Penev was once described by ex-England coach Terry Venables as “one of the top three forwards in the world”, boasting a remarkable scoring record in Spain where he netted more than 150 goals for Valencia, Atletico Madrid, Compostela and Celta Vigo.

Penev’s squad

Keepers: V. Stoyanov (Ludogorets), B. Mitrev (Lokomotiv Sofia), N. Mihaylov (Mersin).

Defenders: N. Bodurov (Fulham), A. Tunchev (CSKA Sofia), S. Popov (L. Lovech), A. Alexandrov (Ludogorets), G. Terziev (Ludogorets), Y. Minev (Ludogorets), V. Minev (Levski Sofia).

Midfielders: S. Manolev (D. Moscow), S. Dyakov (Ludogorets), H. Zlatinski (Ludogorets), M. Alkesandrov (Ludogorets), Marquinhos (CSKA), T. Nedelev (Mainz), G. Iliev (Shijiazhuang), A. Tonev (Celtic), I. Chochev (Palermo), M. Gamakov (B. Plovdiv).

Forwards: V. Hristov (Beroe Stara Zagora), I. Popov (Kuban Krasnodar), A. Galabinov (Livorno), I. Mitsanski (Karlsruhe).

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