PRAGUE (AP) — Patrik Schick is in the Czech Republic squad for the World Cup qualifying playoff against Sweden next week.
Schick, top scorer for Bayer Leverkusen, has recovered from tearing a muscle in his left calf on Feb. 18 in the Bundesliga. He scored his 20th league goal in the game but has not played since.
His presence in the playoff game at Solna, Sweden, on March 24 would boost the Czechs' chances of qualifying for the World Cup after 16 years. He has 17 goals in 33 internationals.
Coach Jaroslav Šilhavý said on Tuesday he believed Schick would play a competitive game by the end of this week.
“We’ll fully focus on the playoff and do everything to succeed,” Šilhavý said about his 21-man squad.
Šilhavý has serious injury worries with his entire first-choice defense from the European Championship last year not available, including West Ham defender Vladimír Coufal.
But frontline midfielder Antonín Barák has recovered from an injury to be picked.
The Sweden-Czech winner will face Poland for a spot at the tournament in Qatar.
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Czech Republic Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jiří Pavlenka (Werder Bremen), Jindřich Staněk (Viktoria Plzen), Tomáš Vaclík (Olzmpiacos).
Defenders: Jakub Brabec (Aris), Aleš Matějů (Venezia), Tomáš Petrásek (Rakow Czestochowa), David Zima (Torino), Jaroslav Zelený (Jablonec).
Midfielders: Antonín Barák (Hellas Verona), Tomáš Holeš (Slavia Prague), Jakub Jankto (Getafe), Ladislav Krejčí jr. (Sparta Prague), Lukáš Masopust (Slavia Prague), Jakub Pešek (Sparta Prague), Michal Sadílek (Twente), Tomáš Souček (West Ham), Jan Sýkora (Viktoria Plzen).
Forwards: Adam Hložek (Sparta Prague), Jan Kuchta (Lokomotiv Moscow), Ondřej Lingr (Slavia Prague), Patrik Schick (Leverkusen).
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