PRAGUE (AP) — Attacking midfielder Adam Hložek of Hoffenheim has recovered from a long-term injury to be included in the preliminary Czech Republic squad for the World Cup on Thursday.
Hložek missed most of the season due to calf and foot injuries but has been fit, said coach Miroslav Koubek, who wants to test him in warmup games.
Hložek last played for the national team last June in World Cup qualifying. The 23-year-old has played 41 international games, scoring four times.
Koubek named three newcomers in the 29-man squad, including 17-year-old Sparta Prague midfielder Huga Sochůrek, Viktoria Plzeň midfielder Alexandr Sojka and Mladá Boleslav forward Christophe Kabongo.
Koubek said they will at least get a chance in the warmup against Kosovo on May 31 in Prague. Immediately after that game, the coach will cut the squad to 26 players and the team will leave for the United States to play one more warmup against Guatemala in New Jersey on June 4.
Three other players who were part of the team during the playoffs against Ireland and Denmark have yet to play for the team, including Cincinnati midfielder Pavel Bucha.
The team mainstays included Lyon midfielder Pavel Šulc, Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick and West Ham midfield Tomáš Souček.
Koubek also included two Slavia Prague players — forward Tomáš Chorý and defender David Douděra — who were suspended for disciplinary reasons by the club for the rest of the season and transfer-listed.
During the World Cup, the Czechs will be based in Mansfield near Dallas.
They will open the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada against South Korea on June 12 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Their other Group A opponents were South Africa in Atlanta on June 18 and Mexico in Mexico City on June 25.
The Czechs qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2006.
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Czech Republic:
Goalkeepers: Lukáš Horníček (Braga), Matěj Kovář (PSV Eindhoven), Jindřich Staněk (Slavia Prague)
Defenders: Vladimír Coufal (Hoffenheim), David Douděra (Slavia Prague), Tomáš Holeš (Slavia Prague), Robin Hranáč (Hoffenheim), Štěpán Chaloupek (Slavia Prague), David Jurásek (Slavia Prague), Ladislav Krejčí (Wolverhampton), Jaroslav Zelený (Sparta Prague), David Zima (Slavia Prague)
Midfielders: Pavel Bucha (Cincinnati), Lukáš Červ (Viktoria Plzeň), Vladimír Darida (Hradec Králové), Tomáš Ladra (Viktoria Plzeň), Lukáš Provod (Slavia Prague), Michal Sadílek (Slavia Prague), Hugo Sochůrek (Sparta Prague), Alexandr Sojka (Viktoria Plzeň), Tomáš Souček (West Ham), Pavel Šulc (Lyon), Denis Višinský (Viktoria Plzeň).
Forwards: Tomáš Chorý (Slavia Prague), Adam Hložek (Hoffenheim), Mojmír Chytil (Slavia Prague), Christophe Kabongo (Mladá Boleslav), Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague), Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen).
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
The Associated Press
