MFA technical director Robert Gatt has called up several new players to the Malta squad for the friendly against Liechtenstein on February 29.
Having heeded the Malta FA’s call to take charge of the national team on a caretaker basis following the dismissal of John Buttigieg in October, Gatt has elected to ring the changes, selecting six new names in the pool of home-based players.
Valletta duo Edmond Agius and Dyson Falzon, Sliema Wanderers goalkeeper Henry Bonello, and Malta U-21 players Rowen Muscat (Birkirkara), Bjorn Kristensen (Hibs) and Zach Muscat (Pietà Hotspurs) have been included in Gatt’s squad.
Gatt addressed the shortlisted players during a team meeting at the Ta’ Qali technical centre on Wednesday. Ivan Vella, the national teams’ manager, was also present.
The players will report for the first training session with the national squad on Monday. Although the MFA have yet to release the new squad, The Times has information that a host of est-ablished players have been left out.
Last month, Gatt confirmed that he had spoken to the foreign-based players, namely Andrè Schembri (Panionios), Andrei Agius (Latina), Justin Haber (Kerkyra), Luke Dimech (AEK Larnaca), Daniel Bogdanovic (Rochdale) and Etienne Barbara (unattached).
Gatt is expected to get in touch with these players in the weeks leading up to the Liechtenstein friendly, to be played at the National Stadium. Australian-based players John Hutchinson, of Central Coast Mariners, and Wellington Phoenix’s Manny Muscat are not expected to be considered for selection for the upcoming warm-up.
It remains to be seen whether the Malta FA will have installed a new coach by the time the national side take on Liechtenstein.
Dusan Fitzel is still the MFA’s preferred candidate and sources have told The Times that the Czech coach has asked for more time to make a decision as he has yet to meet the president of the Czech FA.
At present, Fitzel occupies the post of technical director of the Czech FA.