PRAGUE (AP) — Lyon midfielder Pavel Shulk After recovering from a hamstring injury, he was selected to represent the Czech Republic in the final stage of World Cup qualifying.
coach Miroslav Koubek Schulz admitted he had not yet played for Lyon but said he would be ready for Thursday’s Europa League match against Celta Vigo.
“The situation (with Schultz) looks promising,” Coach Kobeck said after naming his team’s 25-man team on Tuesday.
If Schultz is unavailable, one of Koubek’s options was Pavel Bucha, an offensive midfielder from Major League Soccer’s Cincinnati FC who has not yet played for the national team.
former captain Vladimir Dalida He has agreed to come out of international retirement to help the team qualify for the World Cup.
Dalida, 35, retired from international football in 2021 after the Czech Republic lost in the quarter-finals of the European Championship.
Leverkusen FW Patrick Thicke Although in the squad, another Czech in the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim attacking midfielder Adam Frozek, did not fit.
The Czech Republic finished second in their qualifying group behind Croatia and have advanced to the World Cup playoffs. They will face Ireland in a single-elimination game on March 26 in Prague. The winner will qualify for a tournament hosted by Denmark or North Macedonia and co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The teams participating in the tournament will be group A with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.
The last time the Czech Republic qualified for the World Cup was in 2006.
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