Greece call up Karetsas, 17, to face Scotland
Konstantinos Karetsas could make his Greece debut against Scotland
- Published
Greece have called up 17-year-old Konstantinos Karetsas for the first time to their squad for this month's Nations League play-off double-header against Scotland after the Genk midfielder turned his back on Belgium.
Genk-born Karetsas, who has been linked with Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid and according to his father rejected an offer from Manchester City, had played for the land of his birth from under-15 level and made his debut for Belgium Under-21s in October.
Karetsas has been included in head coach Ivan Jovanovic's 26-man squad, but captain Tasos Bakasetas, the 31-year-old midfielder, is missing after sitting out Panathinaikos' latest four games.
Copenhagen centre-half Pantelis Chatzidiakos, Standard Liege midfielder Sotiris Alexandropoulos, Slavia Prague midfielder Christos Zafeiris, Asteris Tripoli winger Tasos Chatzigiovanis and Panathinaikos forward Fotis Ioannidis all return after missing out against Finland in November.
There is again no place for former Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis, now playing for Cruz Azul in Mexico.
Greece squad to face Scotland
Goalkeepers: Odysseas Vlachodimos (Newcastle United), Konstantis Tzolakis (Olympiakos), Christos Mandas (Lazio).
Defenders: Kostas Tsimikas (Liverpool), Pantelis Chatzidiakos (Copenhagen), Dinos Mavropanos (West Ham United), Dimitris Giannoulis (Augsburg), Lazaros Rota (AEK Athens), Panos Retsos (Olympiacos), Dinos Koulierakis (Wolfsburg), Giorgos Vagiannidis (Panathinaikos).
Midfielders: Petros Mantalos (AEK Athens), Dimitris Kourbelis (Al-Khaleej), Dimitris Pelkas (PAOK), Manolis Siopis (Panathinaikos), Giannis Konstantelias (PAOK), Sotiris Alexandropoulos (Standard Liege), Christos Zafeiris (Slavia Prague), Christos Mouzakitis (Olympiacos), Konstantinos Karetsas (Genk).
Forwards: Giorgos Masouras (Bochum), Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica), Christos Tzolis (Club Brugge), Tasos Douvikas (Como), Tasos Chatzigiovanis (Asteras Tripolis), Fotis Ioannidis (Panathinaikos).