Fortounis and Karnezis given Greece chance

Teenage midfielder Kostas Fortounis and Panathinaikos FC goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis have received their first senior call-ups for Greece in the squad to play Belgium in Heraklion on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old Fourtounis has moved through the youth ranks for Greece and the versatile forward-running player has impressed since his switch to 1. FC Kaiserslautern from Asteras Tripolis FC last year. Greece coach Fernando Santos said: "We are looking for utility players who can help us with our tactics."

Fortounis said: "I would like to thank the coach for giving me this great opportunity. I will do my best to help the team and appear again in the lineup of the senior Greek side. This squad has all the ingredients to do very well in the EURO 2012 finals."

Meanwhile, of the addition of Karnezis, 26, Santos explained: "He is now Panathinaikos's first-choice keeper and he has been performing at a good standard." Indeed, the newcomer has let in only one goal in the Greek Super League leaders' last 11 matches.

Also of note is a return for another Panathinaikos player, Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, more than a year since his last cap in June 2011. The midfielder made his comeback from a six-month lay-off on 29 January. After Wednesday's friendly, Greece next see action in their Austrian training camp against Slovenia on 26 May and against Armenia five days later. They will kick off UEFA EURO 2012 in Warsaw against co-hosts Poland before playing the Czech Republic and Russia in Group A.

Greece squad
Goalkeepers: Alexandros Tzorvas (US Città di Palermo), Orestis Karnezis (Panathinaikos FC).

Defenders: Vassilis Torosidis (Olympiacos FC), Kyriakos Papadopoulos (FC Schalke 04), Giannis Maniatis (Olympiacos FC), Socratis Papastathopoulos (SV Werder Bremen), Avraam Papadopoulos (Olympiacos FC), José Holebas (Olympiacos FC), Nikos Spyropoulos (Panathinaikos FC).

Midfielders: Kostas Katsouranis (Panathinaikos FC), Giorgos Karagounis (Panathinaikos FC), Giorgos Fotakis (PAOK FC), Grigoris Makos (AEK Athens FC), Kostas Fortounis (1. FC Kaiserslautern), Giannis Fetfatzidis (Olympiacos FC), Lazaros Christodoulopoulos (Panathinaikos FC).

Forwards: Dimitris Salpingidis (PAOK FC), Giorgos Samaras (Celtic FC), Fanis Gekas (Samsunspor), Nikos Liberopoulos (AEK Athens FC), Stefanos Athanasiadis (PAOK FC).