Clayton Failla was the most notable absentee from the 23-man squad named by Malta coach Pietro Ghedin yesterday ahead of this week’s international commitments.
Malta meet Georgia in a friendly match in Tbilisi on Wednesday before heading to neighbouring Azerbaijan for Saturday’s Euro 2016 qualifier but Failla will play no part in these games after pulling out of the squad in order to stay with his wife who is due to give birth to their first child this week.
The absence of a key player like Failla is a setback for Malta but Ghedin has sufficient cover at left-back with the up-and-coming Ryan Camenzuli and Jurgen Pisani, who have earned their first senior call-up, joining Steve Bezzina as contenders to replace the Hibernians speedster.
Ghedin is expected to use Wednesday’s friendly against Georgia to assess his options at left-back.
Failla’s decision to skip this week’s internationals meant that Ghedin only had to omit two other players from his initial 26-man squad. Sliema Wanderers goalkeeper Glenn Zammit and Hibernians youngster Joseph Mbong were left out of the party that will check in for the Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul en route to Tbilisi early this afternoon.
Mbong will now join the Malta U-21 squad for the friendly matches against Birkirkara and Catania’s youth team.
Apart from selecting Birkirkara’s Camenzuli and Pisani, the young Pietà Hotspurs wing-back,Ghedin has once again demonstrated his willingness to give youth its head by including Conor Borg in his final squad.
The promising Floriana midfielder, who is being tracked by the youth coaches of Serie A club Roma after turning out for Chievo last season, is only 17.
Alfred Effiong has also been named in Ghedin’s travelling contingent, just a month after the Nigeria-born striker’s application for a Maltese passport was approved by the authorities.
Effiong, who is on the books of Qormi, is following in the footsteps of a host of Nigerian compatriots, the likes of Chucks Nwoko, Chris Okoh, Digger Okonkwo, Orosco Anonam and Udo Nwoko, who were all capped by Malta after obtaining a Maltese passport.
Schembri, Hogg to join squad in Tbilisi
A host of players are carrying knocks from the last BOV Premier League matches but all are expected to regain their fitness ahead of Wednesday’s warm-up in Tbilisi.
Ghedin will also be keen to gauge the physical and psychological condition of goalkeeper Andrew Hogg and forward Andrè Schembri who are linking up with the squad in Tbilisi.
Schembri is expected to arrive in the Georgian capital today after figuring for Omonia Nicosia in their 3-1 victory at Anorthosis yesterday.
For his part, Hogg, Malta’s first-choice goalkeeper, is due to fly out to Georgia tomorrow as his Greek club, AEL Kalloni, have an away league game against Platanias this evening.
Ghedin is widely expected to have a look at the fringe players during the Georgia warm-up, including the newcomers, but he will revert to his tried-and-trusted elements for the tough Group H qualifier against Azerbaijan.
The Azeris will be hellbent on emerging on top from their clash of minnows with Malta as they look to climb off the bottom of Group H after failing to collect a single point from their first four qualifiers.
Malta will be going out to attain another positive result after breaking their duck in a 1-1 draw against Bulgaria last November.
Croatia lead Italy on goal difference after both picked up 10 points from their opening four matches.
The Croatians host Norway, third on six points, on Saturday while Italy travel to fourth-placed Bulgaria.
Ghedin’s 23-man selection
Goalkeepers: Justin Haber (Birkirkara), Henry Bonello (Hibs), Andrew Hogg (Kalloni).
Defenders: Andrei Agius (Hibs), Steve Bezzina (Balzan), Steve Borg (Valletta), Jonathan Caruana (Valletta), Ryan Camenzuli (Birkirkara), Ryan Camilleri (Valletta), Jurgen Pisani (Pietà), Zach Muscat (Birkirkara).
Midfielders: Conor Borg (Floriana), Roderick Briffa (Valletta), Paul Fenech (Birkirkara), Ryan Fenech (Valletta), Bjorn Kristensen (Hibs), Rowen Muscat (Birkirkara), Steve Pisani (Floriana), Mark Scerri (Sliema).
Forwards: Andrew Cohen (Hibs), Alfred Effiong (Qormi), Jean Paul Farrugia (Hibs), Andrè Schembri (Omonia Nicosia).