Soucek, Coufal to lead Czechs against Spain, Portugal

Prague, May 25, 2022 (AFP) - West Ham duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal will spearhead the Czech Republic's Nations League campaign against Spain, Switzerland and Portugal in June, coach Jaroslav Silhavy said Wednesday.

The Czechs will first play in Prague against Switzerland on June 2 and Spain on June 5, before facing Portugal in Lisbon on June 9 and Spain in Malaga on June 12 in Group B of League A.

Silhavy bemoaned a host of absences topped by Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick, out with a groin injury after scoring 24 goals in the Bundesliga this season.

"We're really sorry about this, he would have been keen to play, but he felt more and more pain at the end of the season and had to undergo surgery," Silhavy said.

Other notable absences include Burnley striker Matej Vydra, Verona midfielder Antonin Barak and Slavia Prague midfielder Tomas Holes.

"We miss about ten players who would be here but cannot play because of injuries," said Silhavy, who led the team to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals but failed to qualify for this year's World Cup in Qatar.

"Having advanced to League A is a great success, but it's a pity we can't play the games with the best we have."

"But that's reality and we can't do anything about it," added the coach who called up a single newcomer, Hradec Kralove midfielder Adam Vlkanova.

Czech Republic squad

Goalkeepers: Jiri Pavlenka (Bremen/GER), Jindrich Stanek (Viktoria Plzen), Tomas Vaclik (Olympiakos/GRE)

Defenders: Jakub Brabec (Aris Thessaloniki/GRE), Vladimir Coufal (West Ham/ENG), Milan Havel (Viktoria Plzen), Vaclav Jemelka (Olomouc), Ales Mateju (Brescia/ITA), Tomas Petrasek (Czestochowa/POL), Jaroslav Zeleny (Jablonec), David Zima (FC Torino/ITA)

Midfielders: Vaclav Cerny (Twente/NED), Jakub Jankto (Getafe/ESP), Lukas Kalvach (Viktoria Plzen), Ladislav Krejci (Sparta Prague), Ondrej Lingr (Slavia Prague), Jakub Pesek (Sparta Prague), Michal Sadilek (Twente/NED), Tomas Soucek (West Ham/ENG), Adam Vlkanova (Hradec Kralove)

Forwards: Adam Hlozek (Sparta Prague), Vaclav Jurecka (Slovacko), Jan Kuchta (Lokomotiv Moscow/RUS)