BiH national team players held their first training session ahead of matches against Turkey and Northern Ireland

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Football players of Bosnia and Herzegovina gathered today at the hotel „Austria & Bosnia“ in Ilidza and began preparations for the matches against Turkey and Northern Ireland.

Head coach Robert Prosinečki and defender Toni Šunjić addressed the media representatives at the hotel.

- We will use 17 players in the match against Turkey. We might rest some in that match, but we will rotate almost all the players who have arrived. We did not plan to call up Sead Kolašinac because he was injured for a long time and we wanted him to regain his form in his team. He played against Qarabag in the UEFA Cup, so we called him up instead of Ermin Bičakčić, who is injured - said the head coach.

Prosinečki emphasizes that the team will play in the same formation as in previous matches.

- We will not change the system of play against Turkey, only the players, because we will use the same formation against Northern Ireland as well. Every match is different, so the next one in the Nations League will differ from the one in Belfast. They still have a match with Austria, so the result of that match is also important. I hope we will be compact and strong, and when we are like that, we can play against any national team in the world - concluded Prosinečki.

Toni Šunjić expects a good performance from the BiH team in both encounters.

- The Nations League match is more important to us, but we have to approach both seriously and hope for good results. I think we will be better prepared for Northern Ireland's game and I hope we will not repeat the mistakes we made on their field. I believe we will play better and win points - said Šunjić. 

After gathering at the Training Camp of FK Sarajevo in Butmir, the national team players also held their first training session.