Balzan captain Dylan Grima and Jean Pierre Mifsud Triganza, the Valletta striker, have been named in Malta’s 23-man squad for the Euro 2016 Group H qualifier against Italy on Thursday.
With the Maltese contingent due to jet out to Italy early tomorrow morning, national coach Pietro Ghedin finalised his squad selection after training yesterday.
The four players who failed to make the cut after being included in Ghedin’s provisional 27-strong list are Sliema goalkeeper Glenn Zammit, Pembroke Athleta wing-back Alex Cini, Tarxien Rainbows winger Ayrton Azzopardi and Terence Vella, who yesterday joined Qormi on a season-long loan.
Clifford Gatt Baldacchino has been retained by Ghedin after the Sliema Wanderers defender received a late call-up following the injury-enforced withdrawal of Valletta’s Jonathan Caruana.
The omission of Cini and Azzopardi leaves Grima and Mifsud Triganza as the new faces in the national fold, albeit the latter has been in and out of the squad over the past seven years.
Mifsud Triganza, 33, has made only one appearance for the country while the 25-year-old Grima has never been capped at senior level.
Ghedin had kept faith with Vella as back-up striker for most of the Euro 2016 qualifying trek but his dearth of first-team football with Birkirkara counted against him this time as the Italian has given his nod to Mifsud Triganza who started Valletta’s first two BOV Premier League games this season.
Birkirkara midfielder Gareth Sciberras is back in the frame after a series of injuries curtailed his appearances in the last two seasons.
Apart from Caruana, who injured his groin in Valletta’s 1-0 league win over Sliema Wanderers on Friday, the other notable absentee is Balzan midfielder Ryan Fenech who is also recovering from groin problem.
Birkirkara have the largest contingent in the national squad with six players.
Malta, whose trip to Italy will be followed by a home game against Azerbaijan this Sunday, are bottom of qualifying Group H with one point. Croatia lead the way with 13 points, one more than Italy.
The squad
Keepers: H. Bonello (Valletta), J. Haber (Bir-kirkara), A. Hogg (AEL Kalloni, Greece).
Defenders: A. Agius (Hibernians), S. Borg (Aris Limassol, Cyprus), R. Camilleri (Valletta), C. Gatt Baldacchino (Sliema Wanderers), A. Muscat (Sliema Wanderers), Z. Muscat (Birkirkara), J. Zerafa (Birkirkara), C. Failla (Hibernians).
Midfielders: R. Briffa (Valletta), A. Cohen (Hibernians), P. Fenech (Birkirkara), D. Grima (Balzan), B. Kristensen (Hibernians), R. Muscat (Birkirkara), S. Pisani (Floriana), G. Sciberras (Birkirkara).
Forwards: A. Effiong (Balzan), M. Mifsud (Sliema Wanderers), J.P. Mifsud Triganza (Valletta), A. Schembri (Omonia Nicosia, Cyprus).