Defense also missing
Serbia without record goalscorer against Austria
Serbia's national soccer team will travel to Vienna next week without some big names. Among others, record goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic is not in the squad for the two Nations League play-off matches against Austria, which team boss Dragan Stojkovic announced on Friday.
The striker from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal was hospitalized last week due to cardiac arrhythmia. Even before that, Stojkovic had not named him in his provisional squad.
No details were given on Friday as to the exact reasons for team captain Mitrovic's omission. The 30-year-old, who has scored no fewer than 59 goals in 98 international appearances for Serbia, only made his comeback from a long-term thigh injury at the beginning of March. At the weekend, he went to a hospital in Riyadh for examinations due to feeling unwell and a racing heart. According to media reports, the all-clear was given there. Mitrovic could return to training soon.
Mitrovic has played in Saudi Arabia since 2023. His club colleague Sergej Milinkovic-Savic will also not be joining the national team. Stojkovic has not called up the midfield star since last summer's European Championship. The former Lazio Roma player has recently been struggling with health problems. His brother, Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, is also not in the squad.
Quartet suspended in Vienna
In the first leg in Vienna on Thursday (8.45pm), four players will also be missing due to yellow card suspensions: Salzburg international Aleksa Terzic, ex-Salzburg player Strahinja Pavlovic, Nikola Milenkovic and Andrija Zivkovic. Stojkovic will therefore have to rebuild almost his entire defense. In attack, he can fall back on Juventus star striker Dusan Vlahovic. There was no place in the squad for Salzburg striker Petar Ratkov. The decision in the battle for participation in League A of the Nations League in 2026 will be made on March 23 (Sunday, 18:00/live ServusTV) in Belgrade.
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