John Buttigieg has named a 19-man squad for Wednesday’s Euro 2012 Group F qualifier against Croatia after the Malta coach received the all-clear from the MFA’s top brass to take an extra player to Zagreb.
Buttigieg was faced with a dilemma yesterday as Carlo Mamo is struggling with a strain in his quad but the national team’s medical team are upbeat about the Marsaxlokk left-back’s chances of recovering in time for the match at the Maksimir Stadium.
The situation prompted Butti-gieg to seek allowance from the Malta FA to add another player to his group. The coach’s request was approved by Bjorn Vassallo, the association’s CEO.
Mamo has quickly re-established himself as a regular player for the national team since his recall to the squad in the summer following a long absence.
The experienced left-back played no part in Marsaxlokk’s FA Trophy 1-0 win over Mqabba on Friday after feeling a twinge in his quad during training the previous day.
Mamo did some light training under the guidance of national team physio Joseph St John in the first part of yesterday’s practice session at Ta’ Qali.
Floriana’s Ivan Woods got Buttigieg’s nod to be part of Malta’s squad after he had failed to make the cut for the qualifier against Georgia last month.
The veteran midfielder-cum-forward scored a brace in Floriana’s 3-0 victory over Lija Athletic in a match from the first round of the FA Trophy.
Buttigieg has picked four overseas-based players in his 19-strong party.
Maltese-Australian midfielder John Hutchinson, who plays for A-League club Central Coast Mariners, was expected to arrive in Malta yesterday but the other three, Ferencvaros duo Justin Haber and Andre Schembri, and Daniel Bogdanovic, the Sheffield United forward, will join up with their international team-mates in Zagreb.
The Malta coach left it until yesterday evening to finalise his squad selection as Hibs were involved in a FA Trophy match against Pietà Hotspurs.
With Andrew Cohen ruled out by suspension and goalkeeper Mario Muscat now effectively third-choice for Malta, Edward Herrera was perhaps the only Hibs player that figured in Buttigieg’s plans for Wednesday’s qualifier.
The gangly wing-back was confirmed in Malta’s travelling party after coming through unscathed from Hibs’ game.
Birkirkara midfielder Shaun Bajada is in the squad after recovering from the ankle injury that had threatened his participation in the Croatia qualifier but team-mate Trevor Cilia is out as he is still recuperating from a hamstring problem.
Andrei Agius, the AS Melfi defender who has started each of Malta’s first three Euro 2012 qualifiers, is out of the equation because of suspension.
The squad
Goalkeepers: A. Hogg, J. Haber.
Defenders: E. Herrera, C. Mamo, J. Caruana, J. Zerafa, M. Grima.
Midfielders: S. Bajada, J. Pace, G. Sciberras, R. Fenech, J. Hutchinson, P. Fenech, K. Sammut, R. Briffa.
Forwards: D. Bogdanovic, M. Mifsud, I. Woods, A. Schembri.