Euro 2004 Squads Roundup

Davids and Hasselbaink out of Dutch squad vs. Belarus

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -- Midfielder Edgar Davids and striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink will miss the Netherlands' Euro 2004 Group Three qualifier against Belarus on Saturday because of injuries, Dutch soccer officials said Monday.

Davids was replaced after an hour of last Wednesday's Champions League final between his Juventus side and AC Milan because of a groin injury. Chelsea's Hasselbaink has a calf strain.

PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus returns to the squad after recovering from groin surgery, but four youngsters Andy van der Meyde, Dirk Kuyt, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, called up for the 1-1 friendly against Portugal in April, are dropped.

The Dutch side will play a match behind closed doors against Ajax Amsterdam on Friday before leaving for Minsk.

The Dutch are second in Group Three behind the Czech Republic on goal difference with both sides on 10 points. Belarus are fourth on three points behind Austria with six. Moldova have yet to earn a point.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Edwin van der Sar (Fulham), Ronald Waterreus (PSV Eindhoven)

Defenders: Frank de Boer (Barcelona), Andre Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven), Michael Reiziger (Barcelona), Fernando Ricksen (Rangers), Jaap Stam (Lazio)

Midfielders: Mark van Bommel (PSV Eindhoven), Ronald de Boer (Rangers), Marc Overmars (Barcelona), Rafael van der Vaart (Ajax Amsterdam), Phillip Cocu (Barcelona), Paul Bosvelt (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Arsenal), Clarence Seedorf (AC Milan), Boudewijn Zenden (PSV Eindhoven)

Forwards: Pierre van Hooijdonk (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Patrick Kluivert (Barcelona), Roy Makaay (Deportivo Coruna), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United).

Austria draws on league champion for qualifiers

VIENNA (Reuters) -- Austria coach Hans Krankl on Monday named one debutant to his 20-man squad for this month's Euro 2004 Group Three qualifiers against Moldova and Belarus.

Salzburg midfielder Thomas Eder, if brought on to play against Moldova on Saturday or Belarus on June 11, will be the 20th player to make his debut for Austria since Krankl took over the reins of the national team in January 2002.

One quarter of the squad has been drafted from newly crowned first division champion Austria Vienna.

Austria is third in Group Three with six points from four matches, four points behind joint leaders the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Thomas Mandl (Austria Vienna), Helge Payer (Rapid Vienna)

Defenders: Harald Cerny (1860 Munich), Ernst Dospel (Austria Vienna), Anton Ehmann (Graz AK), Mario Heiblinger (Kaernten), Emanuel Pogatetz (Aarau), Paul Scharner (Austria Vienna), Martin Stranzl (1860 Munich)

Midfielders: Rene Aufhauser (Graz AK), Thomas Eder (Salzburg), Thomas Floegel (Austria Vienna), Thomas Hoeller (Kaernten), Andreas Ivanschitz (Rapid Vienna), Bozo Kovacevic (Pasching), Markus Schopp (Brescia), Michael Wagner (Austria Vienna)

Forwards: Mario Haas (Sturm Graz), Roland Kirchler (Salzburg), Roman Wallner (Rapid Vienna)

Danes call uncapped pair into squad

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -- Denmark coach Morten Olsen has named two uncapped players for his revised 21-man squad Monday for the Euro 2004 Group Two qualifiers against leader Norway and Luxembourg next month.

Olsen said that after strikers Jon Dahl Tomasson (AC Milan) and Peter Lovenkrands (Rangers) and midfielders Christian Poulsen (Schalke 04) and Jan Michaelsen (Panathinaikos) all had to pull out with injuries he had to reassess the squad.

Olsen called in two untried forwards, Brondby's Kaspar Dalgas and Borussia Monchengladbach's Morten Skoubo. FC Copenhagen midfielder Peter Nielsen has also been named.

Denmark will play Norway in Copenhagen on June 7 and away against Luxembourg on June 11.

Norway tops the group on 10 points, three clear of Denmark. Luxembourg is bottom without a point after four games.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Thomas Sorensen (Sunderland), Peter Skov-Jensen (FC Midtjylland)

Defenders: Kasper Bogelund (PSV Eindhoven), Thomas Helveg (AC Milan), Rene Henriksen (Panathinaikos), Niclas Jensen (Manchester City), Martin Laursen (AC Milan), Per Nielsen (Brondby)

Midfielders: Thomas Gravesen (Everton), Claus Jensen (Charlton Athletic), Thomas Roll Larsen (FC Copenhagen), Morten Wieghorst (Brondby IF), Thomas Kahlenberg (Brondby), Peter Nielsen (FC Copenhagen), Thomas Schultz (Farum)

Forwards: Jesper Gronkjaer (Chelsea), Dennis Rommedahl (PSV Eindhoven), Ebbe Sand (Schalke 04), Martin Joergensen (Udinese), Kaspar Dalgas (Brondby)

Zagorcic injury could force change in Bulgaria squad

SOFIA (Reuters) -- Defender Zlatomir Zagorcic could become the eighth regular to miss Bulgaria's Euro 2004 qualifier against Belgium in Sofia on Saturday after suffering a thigh injury during a domestic premier league match.

Coach Plamen Markov said on Monday that if the ethnic Serb did not recover by Tuesday, he would call up a replacement to his original 18-strong squad named last week.

Markov has already been forced to replace key defender Georgi Peev of Dynamo Kiev with CSKA Sofia's Todor Yanchev. Peev underwent an operation on Thursday after injuring his ankle during a Ukranian premier division match.

The Bulgarians will also be without injured striker Georgi Chilikov of Levski Sofia and midfielder Milen Petkov of AEK Athens, while Shakhtar Donetsk defender Predrag Pazhin and forward Zoran Jankovic of China's Dalian Shide are suspended.

Former captain Krassimir Balakov of VfB Stuttgart, also suspended for the Belgium match, retired last month before Charlton Athletic defender Radostin Kishishev surprisingly quit the national team 10 days ago.

Bulgaria leads Group Eight with 10 points from four games, three points ahead of second-placed Croatia. Belgium is third with six points.

Revised squad:

Goalkeepers: Zdravko Zdravkov (Istanbulspor), Dimitar Ivankov (Levski Sofia)

Defenders: Rosen Kirilov, Zlatomir Zagorcic (both Litex Lovech), Martin Stankov (Malatyaspor), Ilian Stoyanov (Levski Sofia), Nikolai Krstev (Naftex Bourgas), Ivailo Petkov (Istanbulspor)

Midfielders: Stilian Petrov (Celtic), Todor Yanchev (CSKA Sofia), Marian Hristov (Kaiserslautern), Daniel Borimirov (1860 Munich), Alexander Alexandrov (Istanbulspor)

Forwards: Velizar Dimitrov (CSKA Sofia), Vladimir Manchev (Lille), Martin Petrov (Wolfsburg), Dimitar Berbatov (Bayer Leverkusen), Svetoslav Todorov (Portsmouth).

Two Faroese players suspended, miss Iceland match

TORSHAVN (Reuters) -- Faroe Islands will be without captain Oli Johannesen and experienced defender Pol Thorsteinsson due to suspensions when it plays Iceland away in a Euro 2004 group five qualifier on Saturday.

Both will be back in the squad when Faroe Islands hosts leader Germany on June 11.

Coach Henrik Larsen will decide after the Iceland match which two players he will drop to make way for Johannesen and Thorsteinsson for the match against Germany.

Faroe Islands only has one point from its first three matches following a draw with Scotland. Germany tops the group on goal difference from Scotland and Lithuania on seven points.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Jakup Mikkelsen (Molde FK, Norway), Jens Martin Knudsen (NSI Runavik)

Defenders: Johan Byrial Hansen (AC Horsens, Denmark), Jon Roi Jacobsen (Brondby, Denmark), Johannis Joensen (Vagar), Atli Danielsen (KI Klaksvik), Suni Olsen (Gota)

Midfielders: Jakup a Borg (B36 Torshavn), Julian Johnsson (B36 Torshavn), Jann Ingi Petersen (B68 Toftir), Frodi Benjaminsen (B68 Toftir), Rogvi Jacobsen (HB Torshavn), Ingi Hojstedt (Arsenal), Hjalgrim Elttor (KI Klaksvik)

Forwards: John Petersen (B36 Torshavn), Andrew av Flotum (HB Torshavn), Jonhard Frederiksberg (Skala), Christian Hogni Jacobsen (Runavik)

Pahars out of Latvia squad for Hungary qualifier

RIGA (Reuters) - Latvia coach Aleksandrs Starkovs will be without top striker Marian Pahars when the Group Four leaders travel to third-placed Hungary for Saturday's Euro 2004 qualifier.

The Southampton striker is still recovering from an ankle operation and was left out of the 24-man squad for the match.

But there was some good news for Starkovs as defender Olegs Blagonadezins makes a welcome return from injury. The only new addition to the squad is 17-year-old midfielder Igors Semjonovs, who plays for FC Skonto.

Latvia leads the group with 10 points from four games, three points ahead of Poland. Hungary has five points from four games.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Aleksandrs Kolinko (Crystal Palace), Andrejs Piedels (Skonto), Andris Vanins (Ventspils), Aleksandrs Krucs (Metalurgs)

Defenders: Igors Stephanovs (Arsenal), Olegs Blagonadezdins (Spartak-Alania), Mihails Zemlinskis, Aleksandrs Isakovs, Valentins Lobanovs (all Skonto), Dzintars Zirnis (Metalurgs), Jurgis Pucinskis (Dinaburg)

Midfielders: Vitalijs Astafjevs (Bristol Rovers), Juris Laizans (CSKA), Imants Bleidelis (Viborg), Andrejs Rubins (Shinnik), Viktors Dobrecovs (Metalurgs), Mihails Zizilevs, Igors Semjonovs, Vladimirs Kolesnicenko (all Skonto)

Forwards: Andrejs Prohorenkovs (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Andrejs Stolcers (Fulham), Mihails Miholaps (Spartak-Alania), Maris Verpakovskis (Skonto), Vits Rimkus (Ventspils).

 

Related information

Stories

Euro 2004 Qualifying Schedule and Results Euro 2004 in sight for Germany, Spain

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video

Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.