Spartak's Dmitry Kombarov gets Russia call-up

15 February 2012 11:17

Russia coach Dick Advocaat on Wednesday included Spartak Moscow midfielder Dmitry Kombarov in his 21-man squad to play a friendly match with Denmark at Copenhagen on February 29.

The 25-year-old Kombarov, who has played 10 times for Russia's under-21 team, will be making his first appearance in the senior squad.

Dynamo Moscow's 20-year-old striker Alexander Kokorin, who won his first cap last year in a friendly with Greece, also received a callup from the Dutch manager.

Midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, who have both returned to their domestic leagues from English Premiership clubs Everton and Tottenham respectively, are also in the squad to travel to Copenhagen.

Forward Pavel Pogrebnyak, who has recently joined another Premier League outfit Fulham from German Bundesliga club Stuttgart, will join them.

In the absence of CSKA Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, who is still recovering from a serious knee injury, Advocaat has called Vyacheslav Malafeev of reigning champions Zenit St Petersburg and Vladimir Gabulov of Anzhi Makhachkala.

Russia squad

Goalkeepers: Vyacheslav Malafeyev (Zenit St Petersburg), Vladimir Gabulov (Anzhi Makhachkala)

Defenders: Alexander Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg), Alexei Berezursky, Vasily Berezutsky, Sergei Ignashevich (all CSKA Moscow), Roman Shishkin (Lokomotiv Moscow), Yury Zhirkov (Anzhi Makhachkala)

Midfielders: Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Dmitry Kombarov (both Spartak Moscow), Denis Glushakov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Igor Denisov, Konstantin Zyryanov, Roman Shirokov (all Zenit St Petersburg), Alan Dzagoyev (CSKA Moscow), Igor Semshov (Dynamo Moscow)

Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal/ENG), Alexander Kerzhakov (Zenith St Petersburg), Alexander Kokorin (Dynamo Moscow), Roman Pavlyuchenkno (Lokomotiv Moscow), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Fulham/ENG)

Source: AFP