U-21 match in Gozo

Like their senior counterparts, the Malta U-21 team taking to the pitch of the Gozo Stadium for their qualifier against Hungary is unlikely to differ much from the side that played the last matches.

With Mark Miller unable to attend yesterday's news conference, following the death of his father earlier this week, it was left to assistant coach Silvio Vella to speak about the preparations.

The U-21 coaches will choose their final 18-man squad from a list of players that has swollen to 28 after four members of the U-19 squad were added to the group.

"Those players in our U-19 squad who left a good impression in the UEFA tournament in Slovakia have been included in our group," Vella said.

Apart from Hibs' Andrè Schembri and Ian Zammit, the Valletta striker, the U-19 players forming part of the U-21 group are Clayton Failla, Paul Fenech, Dyson Falzon and Andrew Spiteri.

These days, promising players in the U-19 age group are finding more space in the U-21 squad but this was not the case three years ago when the then Malta U-21 coach Ray 'Zazu' Farrugia was blocked from calling on Hamrun Spartans' midfielder Mauro Brincat by Heese, who is also the MFA technical director.

Brincat is now a member of the U-21 squad but he missed the last qualifiers because of injury. According to Vella, Brincat has been training regularly with the team and is available for Tuesday's match.