Latvian champions RFS have made two changes to their registered squad ahead of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie against Swedish title-holders Malmö FF. Defender Herdi Prenga and midfielder Facundo Garcia have been replaced by Rendijs Šibass and Strahinja Rakic.
Albanian centre-back Herdi Prenga started both legs of the first-round matchup against Levadia but was forced off in the first half of the second leg due to a shoulder injury. Prenga has made 16 appearances in the Latvian Virslīga this season and scored one goal, so his absence represents a significant blow to RFS’s defensive stability.
Also omitted from the squad is newly signed Argentine midfielder Facundo Garcia, who joined the team this summer from the Cypriot league. Garcia has yet to make an official debut for the RFS first team but was included on the bench in the first match against Levadia. His absence is due to personal reasons, as he temporarily returned to Argentina.
Stepping into their places are two other players. First is the well-known Rendijs Šibass, a 28-year-old wide player. Šibass has made six appearances in the Virslīga this season all coming from the bench.
The second addition is a new signing—Serbian midfielder Strahinja Rakic. The 19-year-old talent was acquired for a notable transfer fee from Serbian SuperLiga side Jedinstvo UB, where he served as team captain. Rakic, who has one cap for Serbia’s U21 national team, has yet to debut for RFS.
The highly anticipated first leg between RFS and Malmö FF in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers will take place on Tuesday at a sold-out LNK Sporta Parks in Riga. Tickets for the match was sold out on the same day they were released.
