PRAGUE (AP) 鈥� Attacking midfielder of Hoffenheim has recovered from a long-term injury to be included in the preliminary Czech Republic squad for the World Cup on Thursday.
Hlo啪ek missed most of the season due to calf and foot injuries but has been fit, said coach , who wants to test him in warmup games.
Hlo啪ek last played for the national team last June in World Cup qualifying. The 23-year-old has played 41 international games, scoring four times.
Koubek named three newcomers in the 29-man squad, including 17-year-old Sparta Prague midfielder Huga Soch暖rek, Viktoria Plze艌 midfielder Alexandr Sojka and Mlad谩 Boleslav forward Christophe Kabongo.
Koubek said they will at least get a chance in the warmup against Kosovo on May 31 in Prague. Immediately after that game, the coach will cut the squad to 26 players and the team will leave for the United States to play one more warmup against Guatemala in New Jersey on June 4.
Three other players who were part of the team during the playoffs against Ireland and Denmark have yet to play for the team, including Cincinnati midfielder Pavel Bucha.
The team mainstays included Lyon midfielder , Bayer Leverkusen striker and West Ham midfield Tom谩拧 Sou膷ek.
Koubek also included two Slavia Prague players 鈥� forward Tom谩拧 Chor媒 and defender David Doud臎ra 鈥� who were by the club for the rest of the season and transfer-listed.
During the World Cup, the Czechs will be based in Mansfield near Dallas.
They will open the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada against South Korea on June 12 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Their other Group A opponents were South Africa in Atlanta on June 18 and Mexico in Mexico City on June 25.
The Czechs qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2006.
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Czech Republic:
Goalkeepers: Luk谩拧 Horn铆膷ek (Braga), Mat臎j Kov谩艡 (PSV Eindhoven), Jind艡ich Stan臎k (Slavia Prague)
Defenders: Vladim铆r Coufal (Hoffenheim), David Doud臎ra (Slavia Prague), Tom谩拧 Hole拧 (Slavia Prague), Robin Hran谩膷 (Hoffenheim), 艩t臎p谩n Chaloupek (Slavia Prague), David Jur谩sek (Slavia Prague), Ladislav Krej膷铆 (Wolverhampton), Jaroslav Zelen媒 (Sparta Prague), David Zima (Slavia Prague)
Midfielders: Pavel Bucha (Cincinnati), Luk谩拧 膶erv (Viktoria Plze艌), Vladim铆r Darida (Hradec Kr谩lov茅), Tom谩拧 Ladra (Viktoria Plze艌), Luk谩拧 Provod (Slavia Prague), Michal Sad铆lek (Slavia Prague), Hugo Soch暖rek (Sparta Prague), Alexandr Sojka (Viktoria Plze艌), Tom谩拧 Sou膷ek (West Ham), Pavel 艩ulc (Lyon), Denis Vi拧insk媒 (Viktoria Plze艌).
Forwards: Tom谩拧 Chor媒 (Slavia Prague), Adam Hlo啪ek (Hoffenheim), Mojm铆r Chytil (Slavia Prague), Christophe Kabongo (Mlad谩 Boleslav), Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague), Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen).
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AP World Cup:
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