Santos replaces Tzorvas with Halkias
Greece coach Fernando Santos decided to bring PAOK goalkeeper Costas Halkias, Panionios striker Costas Mitroglou and AEK striker Nikos Liberopoulos back to the national team ahead of the friendly game against Canada at Larissa on February 9.
While announcing his squad for the match on February 4, the Portuguese manager said he would retain youngsters Dimitris Siovas of Panionios and Giorgos Georgiadis of Panserraikos.
He also stressed the significance of keeping skipper Giorgos Karagounis in the squad even if he does not play in every Panathinaikos game anymore.
The Greens’ goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas was dropped, with Santos inviting just two keepers to the squad.
The full list of players Santos called up reads as follows:
Goalkeepers: Michalis Sifakis (Aris) and Costas Halkias (PAOK).
Defenders: Loukas Vintra, Nikos Spyropoulos (both Panathinaikos), Vassilis Torosidis, Avraam Papadopoulos (both Olympiakos), Giorgos Tzavelas (Eintracht Frankfurt), Vangelis Moras (Bologna), Dimitris Siovas (Panionios) and Sokratis Papastathopoulos (AC Milan).
Midfielders: Costas Katsouranis, Giorgos Karagounis, Sotiris Ninis (all Panathinaikos), Grigoris Makos, Pantelis Kafes (both AEK), Yiannis Fetfatzidis (Olympiakos) and Panayiotis Kone (Brescia).
Forwards: Giorgos Samaras (Celtic), Costas Mitroglou (Panionios), Nikos Liberopoulos (AEK), Dimitris Salpigidis (PAOK) and Giorgos Georgiadis (Panserraikos).