Latvia’s national team is gearing up for a pivotal 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on home soil against Albania tomorrow night. However, they’ll have to do it without their captain and key figure in squad — Kristers Tobers.
Head coach Paolo Nicolato confirmed the news during today’s pre-match press conference, revealing that the 24-year-old Tobers has not recovered in time to feature. The defender, who has earned 37 caps and scored once for the national side, had already been rested during Saturday’s friendly against Azerbaijan (0–0), alongside several players nursing injuries or dealing with fitness concerns.
Tobers’ absence stems from an injury sustained while playing in the Scottish Premiership, which also ruled him out of Latvia’s March fixtures against Andorra (1–0 win) and England (0–3 loss).
With Tobers sidelined, Nicolato announced that the captain’s armband will be handed to central defender Antonijs Černomordijs for the Albania match.
Despite his recent struggles with injury, Tobers did manage to make a late cameo for Aberdeen FC in the Scottish Cup final on May 24th. Coming on in extra time, he played 26 minutes as Aberdeen triumphed over Celtic in a dramatic penalty shootout.
