Rosicky to lead Czechs in Euro 2012 playoff

By foxsports
Published

Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky is back in the Czech Republic's squad for the 2012 European Championship playoff against Montenegro.

A groin injury kept the team's playmaker and captain out of the 4-1 win in Lithuania on Oct. 11 that secured a playoff spot.

Coach Michal Bilek will be without defensive midfielder Tomas Hubschman, who is suspended for the matches on Nov. 11 in Prague and four days later in Podgorica after his red card in the group game against Spain. Center back Tomas Hubnik is suspended for the first leg.

Bilek approached defenders who had retired to replace his regular players but Tomas Ujfalusi of Galatasaray and Jiri Jarosik of Sparta Prague rejected to return to help the team.

''The most important matches in two years are coming,'' team manager Vladimir Schmicer said.

Other major Czech stars - Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, Galatasaray striker Milan Baros and Bordeaux midfielder Jaroslav Plasil - are all included.

Bilek said Baros had a muscle problem and would not be able to train at least until Monday.

The Czechs have participated at all European Championship tournaments since Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993 and a failure to defeat Montenegro would likely cost Bilek his job.

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Squad:

Goalkeepers: Petr Cech (Chelsea), Jaroslav Drobny (Hamburg), Jan Lastuvka (Dnipropetrovsk).

Defenders: Theodor Gebre Selassie (Liberec), Roman Hubnik (Hertha Berlin), Michal Kadlec (Bayer Leverkusen), Zdenek Pospech (Mainz), Daniel Pudil (Genk), Jan Rajnoch (Ankaragucu), Tomas Sivok (Besiktas).

Midfielders: Petr Jiracek (Plzen), Daniel Kolar (Plzen), Marek Matejovsky (Sparta Prague), Milan Petrzela (Plzen), Vaclav Pilar (Plzen), Jaroslav Plasil (Bordeaux), Tomas Rosicky (Arsenal).

Forwards: Milan Baros (Galatasaray), David Lafata (Jablonec), Tomas Pekhart (Nuremberg), Jan Rezek (Anarthosis Famagusta).