Inter defender Skriniar called up as Hamsik absent from Slovakia squad for Malta qualifier

Inter’s defender Milan Skriniar is one of the Serie A players included in Stefan Tarkovic’s Slovakia squad for the opening World Cup qualifiers, which they will commence away at Cyprus on March 24.

Slovakia will host Malta in their second game three days later before rubbing shoulders with Russia on March 30.

Four players from Italy’s top-flight were called up namely Skriniar – 33 caps with Slovakia – Miroslav Lobotka of Napoli, Parma’s Juraj Kucka and Lukas Haraslin who has played nine Serie A games with Sassuolo this season.

Captain Marek Hamsik will not be part of the squad as he is still recovering from an injury which will sideline him for the next four weeks. The former Napoli has just made a surprise move to Sweden’s Goteborg after his spell at Dalian Yifang in the Chinese Super League.

Newcastle’s goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is one of the three custodians called up for these qualifiers .

Slovakia’s league leaders Slovan Bratislava are represented by goalkeeper Dominik Greif, defender Lukas Pauschek, former Manchester City Vladimir Weiss and forward David Strelec.

GOALKEEPERS: Martin Dubravka (Newcastle United), Dominik Greif (Slovan), Dusan Kuciak (Lechia Gdansk).

DEFENDERS: Peter Pekarík (Hertha BSC), Ľubomír Šatka (Lech Poznaň), Martin Koscelník (Slovan Liberec), Milan Škriniar (Inter), Martin Valjent (RCD Mallorca), Tomáš Hubočan (Omonia Nicosia), Lukáš Pauschek (Slovan), Dávid Hancko (Sparta Prague).

MIDFIELDERS: Ján Greguš (Minnesota United), Albert Rusnák (Real Salt Lake), Stanislav Lobotka (Napoli), Patrik Hrošovský (KRC Genk), Juraj Kucka (Parma), Ondrej Duda (1. FC Kolín), Róbert Mak ( Ferencváros), Vladimír Weiss (Slovan Bratislava), László Bénes (FC Augsburg), Lukáš Haraslín (Sassuolo), Jakub Hromada (Slavia Prague), Tomáš Suslov (FC Groningen), Matúš Bero (Vitesse Arnhem).

FORWARDS: Michal Ďuriš (Omonia Nicosia), Róbert Boženík (Feyenoord), Dávid Strelec (Slovan).