Euro 2020: Slovakia to miss injured striker Dávid Strelec

Slovakia will have to do without Dávid Strelec at Euro 2020 after the young striker injured a thigh muscle in a warmup game.

Slovakia coach Štefan Tarkovič announced his 26-man squad on Wednesday, a day after a 1-1 draw in a warmup game against Bulgaria in Austria, where Slovakia has a training camp.

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The 20-year-old Strelec is expected to recover in up to three weeks, too late for Euro 2020.

Strelec scored nine goals and added four assists in his 25 games in the Slovak league, helping Slovan Bratislava win its third straight title.

“I’m really sorry about Dávid Strelec,” Tarkovič said. “It’s such a serious injury that wouldn’t allow him to play at the tournament.”

Veteran playmaker Marek Hamšík, Hertha Berlin defender Peter Pekarík, Parma midfielder Juraj Kucka and Slovan attacking midfielder Vladimír Weiss were all named in the team.

They were also on the team at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2016, the only major tournaments where Slovakia participated since the breakup of Czechoslovakia in 1993. Slovakia reached the knockout stage at the tournaments.

Inter Milan defender Milan Škriniar was also included.

In Group E at Euro 2020, Slovakia will face Poland, Sweden and Spain.

THE SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Martin Dúbravka (Newcastle), Dušan Kuciak (Lechia Gdansk), Marek Rodák (Fulham)

Defenders: Peter Pekarík (Hertha Berlin), Ľubomír Šatka (Lech Poznan), Denis Vavro (Huesca), Milan Škriniar (Inter Milan), Tomáš Hubočan (Omonia Nicosia), Dávid Hancko (Sparta Prague), Martin Koscelník (Liberec), Martin Valjent (Mallorca)

Midfielders: Marek Hamšík (IFK Gothenburg), Stanislav Lobotka (Napoli), Ján Greguš (Minnesota United), Patrik Hrošovský (Genk), Juraj Kucka (Parma), Ondrej Duda (Cologne), Jakub Hromada (Slavia Prague), Róbert Mak (Ferencvaros), Vladimír Weiss (Slovan Bratislava), László Bénes (Augsburg), Lukáš Haraslín (Sassuolo), Tomáš Suslov (Groningen)

Forwards: Róbert Boženík (Feyenoord), Michal Ďuriš (Omonia Nicosia), Ivan Schranz (Jablonec)

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