Soccer-Serbia call up uncapped keeper Brkic for friendlies

BELGRADE, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Serbia coach Radomir Antic has named uncapped goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic in his 22-man squad for friendlies with Northern Ireland in Belfast on Nov.14 and South Korea in London four days later.

Brkic will stand in for injured reserve keeper Vladimir Disljenkovic, while first-choice left back Ivan Obradovic is also sidelined with a knee injury.

"All 22 players will get a chance over the two games and we will try out different formations and strategies as we start our build-up for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa," Antic told a news conference on Friday.

"Northern Ireland and South Korea have very contrasting styles and the matches with them will be a good opportunity for my players to keep learning and adapt to all kinds of tactics."

Antic steered Serbia to their first major tournament as an independent nation when they won Europe's Group Seven ahead of 2006 World Cup finalists France to qualify for next year's 32-team event in South Africa.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojkovic (Sporting), Bojan Isailovic (Cukaricki Belgrade), Zeljko Brkic (Vojvodina Novi Sad)

Defenders: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Antonio Rukavina (Munich 1860), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Lukovic (Udinese), Ivica Dragutinovic (Sevilla), Aleksandar Kolarov (Lazio)

Midfielders: Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan), Gojko Kacar (Hertha Berlin), Nenad Milijas (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (Vfb Stuttgart), Radosav Petrovic (Partizan Belgrade), Milos Krasic (CSKA Moscow), Zoran Tosic (Manchester United), Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo Kiev), Milan Jovanovic (Standard Liege)