Angelos Charisteas has been left out of Greece’s squad for the EURO 2008 qualifiers against Malta and Hungary.
The reigning champions have already booked their place in the finals regardless of the results of the remaining Group C ties, following victory over neighbors Turkey in Istanbul last time out. Therefore, coach Otto Rehhagel is expected to experiment with players and formations.
The German coach, apart from the regulars, called up Vangelis Mantzios as a reward for his appearance on Sunday to Panathinaikos’ 2-1 victory over AEK in the Athenian derby between the two cross-city rivals.
The two remaining stress-free matches with Malta at the Olympic Stadium of Athens on Saturday and with Hunagry in Budapest next week are also a great chance for Nikos Spiropoulos to earn his first cap with the senior team. Panionios left back is regularly called in the Greece squad during the last few months, but he has yet to play.
Nurenberg striker Charisteas and defender Paraskevas Antzas of Olympiacos are the only notable absentees as they are still recovering from an ankle problem and a thigh injury, respectively.
Greece are sitting comfortably at the Group C summit with 25 points, while Norway are second five points adrift and Turkey third a further two points behind.
Rehhagel’s Squad Selection
Goalkeepers: Antonis Nikopolidis (Olympiacos), Costas Chalkias (Aris Thessalonica).
Defenders: Giourkas Seitaridis (Club Atlético de Madrid), Sotiris Kyrgiakos (Eintracht Frankfurt), Traianos Dellas (AEK), Nikos Spiropoulos (Panionios), Loukas Vintra (Panathinaikos), Giannis Goumas (Panathinaikos), Vassilis Torosidis (Olympiacos), Christos Patsatzoglou (Olympiacos), Michalis Kapsis (APOEL)
Midfielders: Angelos Basinas (RCD Mallorca), Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos), Stelios Giannakopoulos (Bolton Wanderers), Alexandros Tziolis (Panathinaikos), Konstantinos Katsouranis (SL Benfica).
Forwards: Dimitris Salpingidis (Panathinaikos), Nikos Liberopoulos (AEK), Theofanis Gekas (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Giorgos Samaras (Manchester City), Giannis Amanatidis (Eintracht Frankfurt).