Euro cuffs on for new prison guard Benjaminsen

"Frodi has been preparing for this job for a long time. He went through an extensive training programme and he just can't miss his first working days," the national FA's deputy general secretary Kristin Dam Ziska told Reuters on Tuesday.

HB Torshavn midfielder Benjaminsen, 37, is the tiny Faroe Islands' most experienced player having won 83 caps since 1999.

"This is not unusual for us because all the players competing in the domestic championship are amateurs or semi-professionals," Dam Ziska said. "All of them have regular jobs outside football.

"The absence of Benjaminsen is a big blow because the other central midfielder Hallur Hansson is suspended. It means that coach Lars Olsen will have to rely on a new central pair."

In November, the Faroes beat Greece 1-0 in Athens in a Group F qualifier to record a rare win in a competitive match.

Unbeaten Romania are top with 10 points from four games followed by Northern Ireland on nine. The Faroes are fifth with four points.

(Reporting by Angel Krasimirov, editing by Tony Jimenez)