Football: Russia Make Changes To Injury-hit Squad

MOSCOW, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 03rd Oct, 2016 ) - Russia's Football Union (RFU) on Monday announced a number of changes to the country's injury-hit national squad to take on Costa Rica in a friendly match in Krasnodar on Sunday.

Anzhi Makhachkala goalkeeper Alexander Belenov will replace CSKA Moscow's Igor Akinfeev, who sustained a knee injury in his club's match at Rostov on Sunday, the RFU official site stated. Akinfeev, who has won 92 caps, is expected to undergo medical tests in Germany later this week.

Meanwhile, CSKA left-back Georgy Shchennikov, Dynamo Moscow midfielder Kirill Panchenko and Rostov striker Dmitry Poloz will replace Rostov defender Fedor Kudryashov, CSKA midfielder Alan Dzagoev and Krasnodar forward Fedor Smolov, who are all injured.

Revised squad Goalkeepers: Alexander Belenov (Anzhi Makhachkala), Soslan Dzhanayev (Rostov), Stanislav Kritsyuk (Krasnodar) Defenders: Vasily Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Yury Zhirkov, Ivan Novoseltsev, Igor Smolnikov (all Zenit St Petersburg), Ilya Kutepov (Spartak Moscow), Sergei Petrov (Krasnodar), Andrei Semenov (Terek Grozny), Roman Shishkin (Lokomotiv Moscow), Georgy Shchennikov (CSKA Moscow) Midfielders: Yury Gazinsky (Krasnodar), Alexander Yerokhin (Rostov), Roman Zobnin (Spartak Moscow), Magomed Ozdoyev (Rubin Kazan), Alexei Miranchuk, Alexander Samedov (both Lokomotiv Moscow), Oleg Shatov (Zenit St Petersburg), Kirill Panchenko (Dynamo Moscow) Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Zenit St Petersburg), Maxim Kanunnikov (Rubin Kazan), Dmitry Poloz (Rostov)