Czechs hand Plasil Euro 2004 chance

Monaco midfielder Jaroslav Plasil has been handed his first call-up to the Czech Republic squad, while Milan Baros and Tomas Ujfalusi have received their expected recalls for the game with Ireland next week.

22-year-old Plasil (pictured) broke into the Monaco first team this season and has impressed in both Le Championnat and the UEFA Champions League.

Czech coach Karel Bruckner has now given midfielder Plasil - who has been likened to Pavel Nedved - a chance to earn a place in their Euro 2004 squad.

Liverpool star Baros, who overcome a broken ankle he picked up earlier this season, is now back to full fitness and should start at Lansdowne Road.

Hamburg's defensive starlet Ujfalusi has overcome knee ligament damage and returns after a number of months on the sidelines.

Chelsea-bound goalkeeper Petr Cech is still sidelined with a damaged elbow, while Tomas Rosicky is out with a broken arm - but both players, who are a vital part of the Czech squad - will be fit in time for Euro 2004.

Squad in full: Antonin Kinsky (Saturn Ramenskoye), Martin Vaniak (Sigma Olomouc), Rene Bolf (Banik Ostrava), Zdenek Grygera (Ajax), Tomas Hubschman (Sparta Prague), Marek Jankulovski (Udinese), Martin Jiranek (Reggina), David Rozehnal (Club Brugge), Tomas Ujfalusi (SV Hamburg), Tomas Galasek (Ajax), Jiri Jarosik (CSKA Moscow), Pavel Nedved (Juventus), Jaroslav Plasil (Monaco), Karel Poborsky (Sparta Prague), Milan Baros (Liverpool), Marek Heinz (Banik Ostrava), Jan Koller (Borussia Dortmund), Vratislav Lokvenc (Kaiserslautern), Jiri Stajner (Sparta Prague).