Injured defender Aleksandar Kolarov is also missing from the 24-man squad while goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic, defender Pavle Ninkov and winger Nemanja Tomic have been recalled.
"We have problems which we need to address and I am not at all happy with our recent results," Antic told a news conference on Saturday.
"Ten players have moved to new clubs during the summer break and they will have to adapt to a different style of play, while our focus has left a lot to be desired recently."
Serbia have lost four of their last six games under Antic, who will miss the opening four qualifiers under a touchline ban for insulting the referee after their 2-1 World Cup defeat by Australia, which sent them crashing out in the group stage.
Antic's new assistant Aleksandar Jankovic will stand in for the 61-year-old coach, who had to accept a pay cut after the World Cup to keep his job.
"It's time to turn a fresh page and start over; we have to rediscover our form and live up to expectations," Antic said.
Serbia's other Group C rivals are Italy, Estonia and Northern Ireland.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Andjelko Djuricic (Uniao Leiria), Zeljko Brkic (Vojvodina Novi Sad), Bojan Isailovic (Zaglebie Lubin).
Defenders: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Antonio Rukavina (Munich 1860), Pavle Ninkov (Red Star Belgrade), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Lukovic (Zenit St. Petersburg), Ivan Obradovic (Zaragoza), Jagos Vukovic (PSV Eindhoven).
Midfielders: Dejan Stankovic (Inter Milan), Gojko Kacar (Hamburg), Nenad Milijas (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (Vfb Stuttgart), Radosav Petrovic (Partizan Belgrade), Milos Krasic (Juventus), Zoran Tosic (CSKA Moscow), Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo Kiev), Milan Jovanovic (Liverpool), Nemanja Tomic (Partizan Belgrade).
Strikers: Nikola Zigic (Birmingham), Danko Lazovic (Zenit St. Petersburg), Dragan Mrdja (Sion).
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