Luxembourg coach Jeff Strasser has called up 28 players ahead of the national team's friendly matches against Italy and Albania, revealing the squad at a press conference on Thursday. Notably absent from the roster is Leandro Barreiro, a stalwart in the team, who has asked to be left out in coordination with his club Benfica. Barreiro is nursing a minor injury and, together with Benfica's medical staff, decided not to participate in order to fully recover his fitness ahead of the new season. Jayson Videira will also miss the games due to injury.
Strasser has opted to select four goalkeepers instead of the usual three, as Antony Moris is awaiting further assessment on a shoulder issue. Several newcomers have been included in the squad: Helmer Tavares (Alcobendas, Spain) , Miguel Goncalves (FC Homburg, Germany) , Diego Duarte (RFC Seraing, Belgium), Leon Elshan (Jeunesse Esch, Luxembourg), and Hamza Kadamani (FC Metz) all receive call-ups. While 28 players have been named for the initial squad, some will return to the under-21 side before the matches take place.
Addressing the press, Strasser acknowledged that the ongoing issue of players with dual nationality remains a real challenge that cannot be avoided. He stressed that players must ultimately choose which national team to represent, and that decision is final. This issue was recently illustrated by Fabio Domingos, who, having been selected for Luxembourg's last matches against Malta, opted the very next day to represent Cape Verde instead.
Looking ahead to the fixture against Italy, Strasser anticipates that Italian coach Silvio Baldini may field a younger side, given his in-depth knowledge of Italy’s emerging talents. Regardless of the age profile, Strasser emphasised that Italy's squad will offer a higher standard of quality on paper compared to the teams Luxembourg will typically face in the Nations League.
Luxembourg will host Italy at the Stade de Luxembourg on Monday, 3 June at 8.45pm, before travelling to Albania for an away match three days later, with kick-off set for 8pm.
As usual, both matches will be broadcast live on television, RTL Today (with English commentary), and RTL Play
