Jonathan Caruana and Gareth Sciberras have been ruled out of Malta’s final 2014 World Cup Group B qualifier against Denmark on Tuesday because of injuries.
Caruana was in Malta’s starting XI for Friday’s match against the Czech Republic but the Valletta defender was forced to leave the field 12 minutes into the second half after colliding with goalkeeper Justin Haber as the two tried to cut out a cross.
Further tests on Friday night confirmed the initial prognosis that Caruana had suffered a rib injury and is not fit to make the trip to Copenhagen ahead of Tuesday’s qualifier.
Malta coach Pietro Ghedin has called up Sliema Wanderers defender Clifford Gatt Baldacchino to replace Caruana.
Sciberras, a first-choice player under Ghedin, played no part in the 4-1 defeat to the Czechs due to a shoulder problem.
Ghedin’s decision to keep Sciberras in his 20-man squad for Friday’s qualifier suggested that the Birkirkara midfielder had a good chance of recovering for the Denmark game but his condition failed to improve sufficiently in the last two days.
Sciberras’s place in Malta’s travelling party has been taken by AC Omonia forward Andrè Schembri who missed the Czech game because of suspension.
After a recovery session at the Ta’ Qali training grounds yesterday morning, the players in Ghedin’s squad were given time off to join up with their families.
They will reconvene at the airport this morning ahead of their journey to Copenhagen via Frankfurt.
Ghedin is likely to devote most his energies over the next two days towards raising the players’ morale ahead of what promises to be a very tough match against the Danes.
Pre-tournament predictions of a fiercely-contested race for the solitary play-off spot in Group B have been vindicated.
The results of Friday’s qualifiers have left the issue very much in the balance with one point separating Bulgaria and Denmark, on 13, from the Czech Republic and Armenia before the final qualifiers on Tuesday.
A last-gasp equaliser by Italy midfielder Alberto Aquilani has jeopardised Denmark’s chances but technically they and the other three challengers are still in contention for the play-off spot with Italy already guaranteed top spot and automatic qualification for Brazil. The Azzurri have 21 points from nine games.
Thus, Malta, bottom of the table with three points, find themselves at the centre of an intriguing scenario as the outcome of their qualifier against Denmark is likely to have a massive bearing on the qualification issue.
In the event that two or more teams finish on equal points, the goal difference and greatest number of goals scored in all group matches will decide the matter.
If, on the basis of the above three criteria, two or more teams are still equal, the rankings will be determined as follows:
a) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned;
b) goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;
c) greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the teams concerned;
d) the goals scored away from home count double between the teams concerned (if the tie is only between two teams).
Bulgaria, who host the Czech Republic on Tuesday, have the best goal difference, +6, the Czechs are on +3, while Armenia, who travel to Italy, and Denmark are on -1.
Malta squad
Goalkeepers: Justin Haber, Henry Bonello.
Defenders: Luke Dimech, Ryan Camilleri, Alex Muscat, Clifford Gatt Baldacchino, Justin Grioli, Andrei Agius.
Midfielders: Clayton Failla, Roderick Briffa, Ryan Fenech, Andrew Cohen, John Mintoff, Rowen Muscat, Edward Herrera, Paul Fenech, Shaun Bajada.
Forwards: Andrè Schembri, Terence Vella, Michael Mifsud.