Soccer: Serbia picks standard squad for World Cup

BELGRADE - Goalkeeper Andjelko Djuricic was the only new name in Serbia's preliminary World Cup squad on Tuesday.

Serbia has been struggling with its choice of a goalkeeper as starter Vladimir Stojkovic has not been playing regularly for Wigan in the English Premier League.

The 30-man squad otherwise included familiar faces such as defenders Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United, Branislav Ivanovic of Chelsea, midfielders Dejan Stankovic of Inter Milan and Milos Krasic of CSKA Moscow and striker Milan Jovanovic, who is set to move to Liverpool.

Also included is Zoran Tosic, who had a good half-season with Cologne in the Bundesliga on loan from Manchester United. Fellow midfielders Miralem Sulejmani of Ajax and Gojko Kacar of Hertha Berlin were also picked.

Missing from the list are defender Ivica Dragutinovic of Sevilla and midfielder Bosko Jankovic of Genoa. Both are injured and out of the World Cup.

Serbia coach Radomir Antic decided not to publicly announce the squad before sending it to FIFA, but it was obtained by The Associated Press in Belgrade.

Serbia will play Ghana, Germany and Australia in group play at the tournament in South Africa. It is to play New Zealand and Poland during preparations in Austria, and Cameroon on June 3 in Belgrade in its final warmup game.

Serbia's Squad:

Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojkovic (Wigan), Zeljko Brkic (Vojvodina Novi Sad), Bojan Isailovic (Cukaricki Belgrade), Andjelko Djuricic (Leiria).

Defense: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Antonio Rukavina (Munich 1860), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Lukovic (Udinese), Ivan Obradovic (Saragossa), Aleksandar Kolarov (Lazio).

Midfield: Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan), Nenad Milijas (Wolverhampton), Miloss Krasic (CSKA Moscow), Milan Jovanovic (Standard Liege), Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo Kiev), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (Stuttgart), Zoran Tosic (Cologne), Miralem Sulejmani (Ajax), Gojko Kacar (Hertha Berlin), Nemanja Matic (Chelsea), Radosav Petrovic (Partizan Belgrade).

Forwards: Nikola Zigic (Valencia), Marko Pantelic (Ajax), Danko Lazovic (Zenith), Dragan Mrdja (Vojvodina), Dejan Lekic (Red Star Belgrade).