Serbia settle on squad for Ukraine

After a week of preparations in Subotica, Serbia coach Aleksandar Stanojević has named his 18-man squad for the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Ukraine with five key players missing.

Key absentees
Stanojević has been deprived of captain and UC Sampdoria midfielder Nenad Krstičić through injury, while FK Crvena Zvezda duo Vujadin Savić and Darko Lazović, FC Schalke 04 midfielder Predrag Stevanović and Aleksandar Ignjovski of TSV 1860 München are also absent. Ignjovski is suspended having been sent off in the second Elite round qualifier against Austria. "This is a big problem for us," said Stanojević, whose side lost 4-1 to Serbian Superliga new boys FK Spartak Zlatibor Voda in their final warm-up game. "They were the first choices in their positions but now we're without them and I believe the new players can prove the old sporting law that substitutes can be better. Our group is strong. We can't promise anything other than full concentration and 100 per cent motivation."

Serbia squad
Goalkeepers: Nikola Matek (OFK Beograd), Aleksandar Kirovski (FK Zemun).

Defenders: Gojko Ivković (FC Viking Stavanger), Miloš Cvetković (FK Zemun), Milan Milanović (FC Lokotomiv Moskva), Aleksandar Miljković (FK Teleoptik), Filip Pjević (OFK Beograd), Dejan Blagojević (FK Zemun), Nemanja Crnoglavac (FK Zemun).

Midfielders: Adem Ljajić (FK Partizan), Filip Djuričić (FC Herenveen), Mihajlo Cakić (FK Zemun), Uroš Matić (MFK Košice), Milan Pršo (FK Rad), Slobodan Medojević (FK Vojvodina).

Forwards: Danijel Aleksić (FK Vojvodina), Nemanja Milić (OFK Beograd), Milan Bubalo (FK Indjija).