Contenders ready for play-off push

Stuttgart setback
Perhaps the pick of the ties sees Group 7 winners Turkey travel to Leverkusen on Friday to take on Germany, who finished second in Group 5. The home side will be hampered by the absence of VfB Stuttgart pair Kevin Kuranyi and Andreas Hinkel, both of whom are included in the senior squad to play France.

Lauth leads the line
In their absence, another player with full international experience, Benjamin Lauth, will play up front. Midfield player Mimoun Azaouagh is out with a pulled stomach muscle but both Markus Feulner and Benjamin Auer should be fit.

Altintops in action
Turkey, meanwhile, have lost Fenerbahçe SK striker Tuncay Sanli to the senior side, but Fatih Sonkaya, Servet Cetin and Selcuk Sahin – who all played in this year's FIFA Confederations Cup – are included. In addition, German-based brothers Halil and Hamit Altintop will be keen to prove a point against their adopted country.

Basa blow
Also playing on Friday are Serbia and Montenegro and Norway. A knee injury has ruled out Serbo-Montenegrin defender Marko Basa but he may be fit for the return in Drammen on 18 November. The visitors will be without Breder Hangeland and Jan Gunnar Solli, who have travelled to Spain with the senior side, while midfield pair Erlend Hanstveit and Thomas Helm miss out due to injury.

Full-strength squad

Winners face off
Also on Saturday two section winners meet in Basel, where injuries deprive Switzerland of Philippe Senderos, Luca Denicola, Rijat Shala and Raphael Darbellay for the visit of the Czech Republic. However, Marco Streller returns having played for the senior side in their decisive UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifier with the Republic of Ireland, and Roland Schwegler and Daniel Gygax are both fit again.

Defensive doubts
Italy coach Claudio Gentile has worries over defenders Daniele Bonera and Marco Pisano and striker Giuseppe Sculli ahead of his side's match in Denmark. Sweden, meanwhile, have included regular internationals Andreas Isaksson, Kim Källström and Mikael Dorsin for the home tie with Spain, although AFC Ajax striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not involved.

Spain trio should play
Spain coach Juan Santisteban includes defender Andoni Iraola for the first time for the visit to Sweden, and the trio of Riera, who has a leg injury, and Rubén and Ángel, who have been suffering with flu, should be available.

Nawotczynski named
Poland visit Belarus without Tomasz Mazurkiewicz and Piotr Brozek and with Wisla Kraków defender Lukasz Nawotczynski a late call-up to the party. The home side have Valeri Tarasenko, Maxim Tsygalko and Pavel Shmigero missing through injury.

Sunday game
Finally, Scotland's Darren Fletcher and James McFadden miss the trip to Croatia on Sunday as both are involved with the seniors, but the home side are also without a number of key players. Marko Babic, Darijo Srma and Niko Kranjcar are in the senior squad, while midfield players Mario Carevic, Ante Tomic and Goran Rubil and defender Mile Bozic are injured.