Pietro Ghedin handed a first call-up to Ryan Scicluna and Zach Muscat as the Malta coach announced his 20-man squad for tomorrow’s friendly against Slovakia and the Euro 2016 qualifier in Croatia.

The national team left for Slovakia last night.

The friendly, in Zilina (kick-off: 18.20), will be a warm-up for Malta’s debut in Group H when they face Croatia in Zagreb on Tuesday.

Scicluna and Muscat were regular members of the Malta U-21 squad last season but Ghedin has now decided to promote the Birkirkara duo to the senior team as he looks to introduce some fresh blood into his selection.

Zach Muscat was given the nod by Ghedin to fill the void left by the experienced Alex Muscat. The Sliema Wanderers wing-back did not make the trip yesterday due to a knee injury. Scicluna earned his call-up in the absence of Roderick Briffa. The Valletta veteran is also recovering from injury.

Edward Herrera, of Birkirkara, and Balzan’s Steve Bezzina were recalled to the squad after missing the 1-0 defeat to Gibraltar in a friendly in May while Valletta midfielder Shaun Bajada and Terence Vella, the Naxxar Lions striker, failed to make the cut.

Floriana winger Steve Pisani and Jean Paul Muscat, now on the books of Slovak side Spartak Trnava, earned their first call-up against Gibraltar. Both retained their place in Ghedin’s selection.

The squad

Goalkeepers: J. Haber (Birkirkara), A. Hogg (Kalloni).

Defenders: A. Agius (Hibs), S. Bezzina (Balzan), S. Borg (Valletta), R. Camilleri (Valletta), J. Caruana (Valletta), C. Failla (Hibs), Z. Muscat (Birkirkara).

Midfielders: A. Cohen (Hibs), P. Fenech (Birkirkara), R. Fenech (Valletta), E. Herrera (Birkirkara), B. Kristensen (Hibs), R. Muscat (Dunaujvaros), S. Pisani (Floriana), A. Schembri (FSV Frankfurt), R. Scicluna (Birkirkara).

Forwards: M. Mifsud (Sliema Wanderers), J.P. Farrugia (Spartak Trnava).