Kosovo vs Turkey: Confirmed Line-ups – Liverpool target benched World Cup qualifier
Turkey take on Kosovo in their sixth World Cup qualification Group I game at the Loro Boriçi stadium.
The Crescent-Stars are world number 25 in the FIFA world rankings while Kosovo are 173.
Turkey have however, been in turmoil over the past week after captain Arda Turan announced his retirement from international football after assaulting a reporter on the team aeroplane.
Head coach Fatih Terim will have to find a new leader and rejig his team.
Luckily for Terim he has a very promising crop of players emerging.
Seventeen-year-old Altinordu keeper Berke Ozer, 19-year-old Dortmund ace Emre Mor and Basaksehir rising star Cengiz Under. 20-year-old Freiburg defender Caglar Soyuncu, Villarreal striker Enes Unal and Trabzonspor attacking midfielder Yusuf Yazici all available for selection.
The rising stars are being tipped as the new golden generation and with Turan now out the picture and several players set to follow suit we could be set to experience a transition sooner than most of us were expecting.
Mor will start on the bench today for Turkey. The Dortmund forward will offer explosive pace and will not be afraid to take on opposition defenders with the level of his dribbling ability.
The youngster has been on the radar of Liverpool according to the British press. The Reds reportedly want to loan Mor with the option to buy.
Liverpool wanting to see more of Mor will be pleased to know the youngster has featured in the last eight national team games he has been available for – missing one game due to suspension. So Terim is likely to use him at some stage.
See More: 3 Reasons Emre Mor could be a success at Liverpool
Terim opted to keep with the experienced members of his team given Volkan Sen, Burak Yilmaz, Selcuk Inan and Mehmet Topal a starting role.
Arda Turan will be replaced by in-form Basaksehir winger Cengiz Under with Sen on the other flank and Oguzhan Ozyakup playing in a number 10 role.
Turkey have actually been in good form recently and are unbeaten in their last four games.
Terim’s boys are currently 4th in the group but could end the sixth round of games in second place with a victory if Ukraine and Iceland drop points.
Kosovo vs Turkey: Confirmed Line-ups
Stadium: Loro Boriçi
Kick-Off: 19:45 GMT
Referee: Miroslav Zelinka
Confirmed Line-ups
Kosovo: Ujkani, Pnishi, Pepa, Kastrati, Kololli, Shala, Berisha, Avdiaj, Zeneli, Muriqi, Nuhiu
Turkey: Volkan Babacan, Gökhan Gönül, Mehmet Topal, Çağlar Söyüncü, Hasan Ali, Emre Mor, Ozan Tufan, Selçuk İnan, Oğuzhan Özyakup, Volkan Şen, Burak Yılmaz
Subs: Emre Mor, Emre Colak, Calik, Koybasi, Yunus Malli, Berk Ozer, Cenk Tosun, Enes Unal, Yusuf Yazici, Olay Sahan