Soccer:After a 100 per cent start to the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, Vladimir Weiss has unsurprisingly kept faith with the same personnel for the upcoming matches with the Republic of Ireland and Armenia.
The Slovakia coach will not be able to call upon the services of Robert Vittek, who has yet to feature in this campaign, as the record goal-scorer continues his recovery from a long-term knee injury.
Vittek, who’s brace against Italy during the World Cup finals knocked the defending champions out, sustained anterior cruciate ligament damage playing for Turkish club Ankaragucu and is out for another two months.
Former Chelsea midfielder Miroslav Stoch, who scored the winner against Russia in Moscow last month, is included while Liverpool’s Martin Skrtel is one player who will need no introduction to Irish fans.
Just four of the side that started against Ireland the last time the two sides met, during Euro 2008 qualifying, are still involved with skipper Marek Hamsik, Stanislav Sestak Marek Sapara and Filip Holosko all still on the scene.
Of the Irish side that started that 2-2 draw in Bratislava, all remain in Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad bar Lee Carsley and Stephen Ireland.
Slovakia, who top Group B alongside Ireland with six points, face Armenia on October 9th before welcoming Ireland to Zilina four days later.
Slovakia squad
Goalkeepers:Jan Mucha (Everton), Dusan Permis (Dundee United), Martin Dubravka (Zilina)
Defenders:Peter Pekarik (VfL Wolfsburg), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool), Tomas Hubocan (Zenit Petrohrad), Kornel Salata (Slovan Bratislava), Radoslav Zabavnik (Mainz), Mario Pecalka (Zilina)
Midfielders:Miroslav Karhan (Mainz), Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague), Zdeno Strba (Skoda Xanthi), Kamil Kopunek (Saturn Ramenskoje), Marek Hamsik (Napoli), Marek Sapara (Ankaragucu), Vladimir Weiss (Rangers)
Forwards:Miroslav Stoch (Fenerbahce), Stanislav Sestak (Ankaragucu), Erik Jendrisek (Schalke 04), Filip Holosko (Besiktas), Tomas Oravec (Zilina), Jakub Sylvestr (Dinamo Zagreb), Filip Sebo (Slovan Bratislava).