Estonia coach disappointed by Shein's decision to skip national team duty
Estonia national football team head coach Jurgen Henn said he is disappointed that Portsmouth midfielder Rocco Robert Shein chose to stay with his club for personal reasons instead of joining the squad. Two 18-year-old players have received their first call-ups ahead of the upcoming Nations League matches.
Estonia's national football team head coach Jurgen Henn has said he is disappointed by Portsmouth midfielder Rocco Robert Shein's decision to remain with his English club rather than join the national team, a choice Shein made for personal reasons.
Henn noted that the situation is made harder by the fact the squad is already dealing with numerous injury problems. Still, he stressed that a player has the right to make such a decision, and his focus now shifts to the players who are actually available.
Several players unavailable
Due to injuries, the team will also be without Rauno Sappinen, Vlasiy Sinyavskiy, Vladislav Kreida, Kristo Hussar, Marten-Kris Paalberg, Toni Varjund and Nikita Mihhailov. Sufian Guram will also miss out for personal reasons.
Two debutants called up
Against this backdrop, Henn has called up two 18-year-old players to the national team for the first time — Flora defender Sander Alamaa and Levadia midfielder Maksimilian Skvortsov. The coach said both earned their call-ups through their performances at club level.
Henn praised Alamaa as one of the standout players of Estonia's top league this season, calling his numbers especially important now that Sinyavskiy, who had been the team's main creative force in that position, is unavailable. Alamaa has also impressed in European club competitions, not just domestically.
As for Skvortsov, Henn said he is particularly valuable for his ability to play in tight spaces, adding that the need for more creativity in attack was one reason behind his call-up.
Estonia will open its Nations League campaign with two away matches, facing Iceland on 26 September and Bulgaria on 29 September. The team will then play home matches against Luxembourg on 3 October and Iceland on 6 October at A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn.
