Czechs at full strength

The Czech Republic coach, Karel Brückner, said "there is no time for experimentation" after naming a full-strength squad for UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying matches against Belarus and the Netherlands, another side competing to win Group 3.

Locked together
The Czechs and Dutch are locked together at the top of the section, both with 13 points from five games. Their 10 September showdown in Prague will surely decide who advances automatically to Portugal, although Brückner will not be underestimating the task facing his side in Minsk four days earlier.

Defensive cover
He has added extra defenders to the squad as Zdenek Grygera, Tomás Ujfaluši and Marek Jankulovski are all within a booking of being suspended. The men to profit from that decision are Petr Johana from AC Sparta Praha and Martin Jiránek, who plays for Reggina Calcio. A third goalkeeper, FC Slovan Liberec's Antonín Kinský, is also included.

'Fully fit'
Brückner is pleased with the condition of his squad at this early stage of the season. "They are all fully fit," he said. "We cannot change our plans." Thus, there was no place for FC Baník Ostrava's in-form striker Marek Heinz. "The home match against the Netherlands will be our toughest test of all," concluded the coach.

Czech Republic squad
Cech, Blažek, Kinský, Bolf, Grygera, Hübschman, Jankulovski, Jiránek, Johana, Ujfaluši, Galásek, Nedved, Poborský, Rosický, Šmicer, Týce, Baroš, Koller, Lokvenc, Štajner, Vachoušek.