Czechia ready to step up in Schick´s absence, says Hasek

Czechia head coach Ivan Hasek insisted he has players ready to replace Patrik Schick in their must-win final group game against Turkiye on Tuesday.

Shick, who became his nation’s top scorer at the European Championships with his goal against Georgia, limped off shortly after scoring and is a doubt for their final Group F fixture.

“Patrik has been with the physios and doctors for the last two days,” Hasek said. “He wasn’t training. He’s getting better, but we will see tomorrow.

“Schick is a key player, one of the best scorers in Europe. But if he’s not able to play, we need to replace him. And we have players who are able to replace him and they are ready and been working hard,” added Hasek.

Poslední plnohodnotný trénink před zápasem s Tureckem je za námi! pic.twitter.com/dIgyg7EWAC

— Česká fotbalová reprezentace (@ceskarepre_cz) June 25, 2024

After claiming a point in their opening two group games, Czechia know they must rectify their current three-game winless run against their opponents on Tuesday to progress to the last-16 of Euro 2024.

Turkiye have won their two previous matches against Czechia at the European Championships, with both of these encounters, as per this year’s, coming in the last group game.

“There is a positive energy in the team,” Hasek said of the feeling among his squad ahead of the game at the Volksparkstadion.

“Some of the players have not played yet, not got that many opportunities and we want to win for them, mostly so that their chances of getting on the pitch and playing here remains.

“I really have great trust in my team, they play as one man and I think we will show that on the pitch.”