Dimech pulls out as Mansfield reach play-off final

Luke Dimech has withdrawn from the national squad to face Germany in a friendly next Thursday after his club Mansfield Town reached the English Division Three promotion play-off final.

Dimech, 27, yesterday informed Ivan Vella, the MFA national teams' secretary, that he cannot link up with the squad after talks with Mansfield Town coach Keith Curle.

The former Sliema Wanderers and Birkirkara defender has not been playing regularly for Mansfield over the last few weeks and was not even used as a substitute in Thursday's dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Northampton.

Mansfield's path to the final seemed clear after they won the first leg 2-0 but Northampton achieved a 3-1 victory on Thursday for a 3-3 aggregate score, sending the tie into a sudden death shoot-out which went Mansfield's way.

Although Dimech has slipped down the pecking order at Mansfield, Curle asked him to put club before country as Mansfield prepare for their important date with Huddersfield at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on May 31.

"I spoke to the coach after the semi-final on Thursday and he wants me to stay with the squad in the build-up to the final," Dimech told The Times.

"The Division Three promotion play-off final is a massive game for us and it's the gaffer's wish to have all players available. Due to the importance of this match and the coach's stance, I have decided to stay. Today (yesterday) I called Ivan Vella to inform him of my intention to pull out from the squad. The national coach has also been in touch to talk the matter over."

This is not the first time that Dimech has passed up the chance to play for Malta in order to concentrate on his club career.

Apart from one appearance in a 2-1 defeat to Finland, on March 31 at Ta' Qali, Dimech has not been in the national squad for any of the other matches played since Heese replaced Siegfried Held last year.

"It's never easy to decline a national call-up but at such a crucial stage of the season, I had to remain with my club," he explained.

"Mansfield have said that they will start discussing the future of their players after the final and I don't think I would have enhanced my chances of staying had I left the club before such an important match."

Heese was expected to announce his 18-man squad today but Dimech's withdrawal leaves him with exactly 18 names on the list.

"Dimech's absence is a blow because he did well in a central defensive position when we played Finland," Heese said.

"He is well-acquainted to the four-in-line system and is a true leader at the back during the game."

Heese intends to stick with the players who were included in the first squad, bar injuries in training over the next two days.

This is good news for uncapped Hibernians duo Andrew Cohen and Peter Pullicino who are now expected to be confirmed in Heese's final squad for the friendly in Freiburg.

Jeffrey Chetcuti, the Sliema Wanderers defender, is ranked doubtful due to the knee setback he suffered last week.

Chetcuti has been receiving treatment on his injured knee and Heese yesterday sounded confident that the 30-year-old will be declared fit to join the travelling party on Monday afternoon.

Special Malta shirt

Meanwhile, The Times has learnt that Errea, Malta's official technical suppliers, have produced a special Malta shirt to mark their prestigious friendly match against Germany.

Germany are one of the 16 finalists for EURO 2004 in Portugal.