Article by Justin Gafiuc, Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published on Sunday, March 22, 2026, 11:02 p.m. / Updated on Sunday, March 22, 2026, 11:06 p.m.
Trouble for Mircea Lucescu, the Romanian coach, before the dam with Turkeywhich will be played on Thursday, March 26, from 19:00. Ionuț Radu (28 years old), the goalkeeper of Celta Vigo and the holder of the national team in the last period, was also registered on the unavailable list.
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Turkey – Romania will be played on March 26, from 19:00, match broadcast by Prima TV. If we win, we play the World Cup qualification final against Slovakia/Kosovo on March 31, 2026.
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Gazeta Sporturilor has 6 experienced reporters in Istanbul who will send the most important information, the best reports and a series of multimedia correspondence.
Sunday evening brought bad news for the Romanian national team. Ionuț Radu was injured in the failure of Celta Vigo with Alaves, score 3-4, and is almost certainly out of the calculations for Thursday's match.
In the most optimistic scenario, it would be about a contract, which would make him unavailable for at least 3 days, so the chances of him playing on Thursday would be minimal. It could also be a more serious injury, a tendon fiber injury. An MRI may be done as early as Sunday evening.
He is the second goalkeeper from the squad to get injured after being called up. The first was Mihai Popa, who was replaced by Cătălin Căbuz. The problems in the attack are also well known, with Louis Munteanu, Denis Drăguș, Denis Alibec and George Pușcaș unavailable. Thus, Lucescu is forced to urgently call another goalkeeper. Horațiu Moldovan, Ștefan Târnovanu, Laurentiu Popescu and Otto Hindrich are among the possibilities.
How can Romania look in the dam with Turkey
Gazeta's sources from within the national team say that Marian Aioani will start with Turkey. It will be the debut match in Romania for the goalkeeper from Rapid.
The defense will be the “classic” one, which has done the heavy lifting in recent years. Rațiu, Drăgușin, Burcă and Bancu would be Romania's defenders in Istanbul.
Claudiu Petrila and Marian Aioani / / PHOTO: Facebook Rapid
Vlad Dragomir (Pafos) looks fixed in the midfield in a 4-2-3-1 system. The other closer would be chosen between Screciu and Răzvan Marin.
Bîrligea, the only striker with European experience available, will play up top, and behind him will be Man, Ianis Hagi and Mihăilă. Dobre could also make his place in the team instead of Mihăilă.
How would Romania look in the match against Turkey: Aioani – Rațiu, Drăgușin, Burcă, Bancu – Screciu (R. Marin), Dragomir – Man, Hagi, Mihăilă (Dobre) – Bîrligea.
Romania's lot for the dam with Turkey
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porter: Ionuț RADU (Celta de Vigo | Spain, 7/0), Marian AIOANI (FC Rapid 1923, 0/0), Cătălin CĂBUZ (FC Argeș, 0/0);
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defense: Andrei RAțIU (Rayo Vallecano | Spain, 36/2), Deian SORESCU (Gaziantep FK | Turkey, 23/0), Radu DRĂGUȘIN (Tottenham | England, 27/1), Andrei BURCĂ (Yunnan Yukun | China, 44/1), Virgil GHIȚ (Hannover 96 | Germany, 8/1), Adrian RUS (Universitatea Craiova, 22/1), Andrei COUBIȘ (Cluj University, 0/0), Nicușor BANCU (Craiova University, 50/2), Kevin CIUBOTARU (Hermannstadt, 1/0);
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midfielders: Vladimir SCRECIU (Universitatea Craiova, 6/0), Vlad DRAGOMIR (Pafos | Cyprus, 5/0), Răzvan MARIN (AEK Athens | Greece, 72/12), Nicolae STANCIU (Dalian Yingbo | China, 84/15), Florin TĂNASE (FCSB, 26/5), Ianis HAGI (Alanyaspor | Turkey, 51/8), Dennis MAN (PSV | Netherlands, 43/11), Alexandru DOBRE (FC Rapid 1923, 5/0), Valentin MIHĂILĂ (Caykur Rizespor | Turkey, 33/5), Claudiu PETRILA (FC Rapid 1923, 2/0), Ștefan BAIARAM (Universitatea Craiova, 2/1);
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ATTACKERS: Daniel BÎRLIGEA (FCSB, 7/2), David MICULESCU (FCSB, 6/0), Marius COMAN (UTA Arad, 0/0).
