Aston Villa striker Milan Baros has been named in the Czech Republic’s World Cup squad.
His compatriot Jari Jarosik, who was relegated with Birmingham while on loan from Chelsea, has been left out by Czech manager Karel Bruckner.
There was some slightly better news for Hearts midfielder Rudi Skacel who is one of two players on stand-by.
Skacel could get his chance as there are still injury concerns over Zdenek Grygera, Vladimir Smicer and Vratislav Lokvenc.
‘They all proved their quality over a long-term period,’ said Bruckner. ‘The doctors have given Vladimir Smicer guarantees he will be fit, but of course we are ready to replace him in case he is not.
‘Also Libor Sionko and Rudi Skacel are ready.
‘Grygera and Smicer were examined by the doctors on Friday, they are still undergoing treatment.
‘We also examined the fitness of Lokvenc - these were the three fitness questions. As regards the sporting form, we had no doubts.’
The squad will arrive in Prague on 25 May and will fly to a training camp in Seefeld, Austria, two days later.
The Czechs have been drawn in a testing World Cup group, where they will play USA, Ghana and Italy.
Czech Republic squad for the 2006 World Cup: Petr Cech (Chelsea), Jaromir Blazek (Sparta Prague), Antonin Kinsky; (Ramenskoje), Zdenek Grygera (Ajax), Marek Jankulovski (AC Milan), Martin Jiranek (Spartak Moscow), Radoslav Kovac (Spartak Moscow), Pavel Mares (Zenit St Petersburg), David Rozehnal (Paris St Germain), Tomas Ujfalusi (Fiorentina); Tomas Galasek (Ajax), David Jarolim (Hamburg), Pavel Nedved (Juventus), Jaroslav Plasil (Monaco), Karel Poborsky (Ceske Budejovice), Jan Polak (Nurnberg), Tomas Rosicky (Borussia Dortmund), Vladimir Smicer (Bordeaux); Milan Baros (Aston Villa), Marek Heinz (Galatasaray), Jan Koller (Borussia Dortmund), Vratislav Lokvenc (Salzburg), Jiri Stajner (Hannover).
Standby: Libor Sionko (Austria Vienna), Rudi Skacel (Hearts).
