Head coach Matjaž Kek summoned 24 players for the upcoming 2020 EURO opening qualifying matches against Israel and Macedonia.

photo by Žurnal24.si: the Slovenian team before the Nations League match against Bulgaria last November

The Slovenians will face Macedonia with currently the best possible squad. Coach Kek will definitely have headaches to chose the starting eleven. The only forced absence is Vitesse’s striker Tim Matavž who is recovering from a fractured fibula. Leipzig’s midfielder Kevin Kampl surprisingly retired from the national team at the age just 28 after the end of the Nations League, while forward Roman Bezjak did not receive a call due to less playing time since joining APOEL in January.

Among the players are only two debutantes, if we don’t count third-choice keeper Kotnik who has been previously called up. 23-year-old central defender Jon Gorenc Stanković of Huddersfield has 5 appearances in the Premier League this season of which three in the last three rounds, but every time was fielder as defensive midfielder. The other debutante is teenager midfielder Adam Gnezda Čerin who is only the second domestic player within this squad.

Interestingly, back in the national team is winger Damjan Bohar who will hope to make only his second appearance and after more than four years.

Slovenia will first visit Israel on the 21st, while three days later will hosts Macedonia in Ljubljana.

Jan Oblak – Atlético
Vid Belec – Sampdoria
Matic Kotnik – Panionios 

Bojan Jokić – Ufa
Miha Mevlja – Rostov
Nejc Skubic – Konyaspor
Aljaž Struna – Houston Dynamo
Petar Stojanović – Dinamo
Miha Blažič – Ferencváros
Nemanja Mitrović – Jagiellonia
Jure Balkovec – Verona 

Josip Iličić – Atalanta
Jasmin Kurtić – SPAL
Rene Krhin – Nantes
Benjamin Verbič – Dynamo
Miha Zajc – Fenerbahçe
Domen Črnigoj – Lugano
Jaka Bijol – CSKA
Damjan Bohar – Zagłębie
Adam Gnezda Čerin – Domžale
Jon Gorenc Stanković – Huddersfield Town 

Robert Berić – Saint-Étienne
Andraž Šporar – Slovan
Luka Zahović – Maribor 

Kek had many questions to answer as earlier today released the squad list. The press-conference lasted half an hour and you can watch on the video bellow, but keep in mind that is in Slovenian language.