Markku Kanerva presented the national team squad – as many as 13 possible debutants in the January matches

The national football team’s head coach Markku Kanerva has selected the squad that will take on Sweden and Estonia in Portugal.

The national team will go to the Algarve in Portugal on January 5, where the young squad will play international training matches on January 9 against Sweden and on January 12 against Estonia at the Estadio da Nora.

– If we think about the history of several national team players, their first steps in the national team context have been taken during these winter national team matches. This is a so-called collaboration camp, as we have nine players from the U21 national team squad, comments Kanerva on the Ball Association’s website.

– This will be an opportunity for young players to show what they are for and for older players who have received less playing time in the national team shirt.

Also in Portugal is the U21 national team’s coaching staff. Head coach Mika Lehkosuo and assistant coach Gert Remmel will come along to the camp.

– Lehkosuo and Remmel get the opportunity to get to know their players better and get into the A national team’s style of play and philosophy, says Kanerva about the collaboration.

Among the most interesting names in the squad are FC Honka’s star shot Agon Sadiku and Manchester City’s Tomas Galvez. Sadiku’s participation in the Finnish national team has sparked debate, as he played two caps for Kosovo earlier in November.

– They didn’t handle the paperwork as it should have been done, so Agon still has the opportunity to represent Finland. We will do the paperwork in the right way and it is therefore a matter of two official national team matches. It will be interesting to see Agon in the squad, notes Kanerva.

– Tomas Galvez has played mainly in Manchester City’s U18 team, but has already sat on the bench during a training match for the A team. He has been in the U19 national team and we want to see how he copes at A national team level. He also has the option of choosing between England and Finland. If he plays against Sweden, the matter is clear, Kanerva points out.

Robert Ivanov, Niilo Mäenpää, Richard Jensen and Tomas Galvez are only available during the Sweden match.