FC Spartak Moskva defender Sergei Parshivlyuk will be sidelined for the rest of the UEFA Champions League group stage after damaging right knee ligaments during Saturday's 0-0 draw at FC Sibir Novosibirsk.

A scan on Monday confirmed that the 21-year-old will not play again in 2010 – a blow for the man standing in for the injured Alex as captain, not least because this month he joined Russia's senior squad for the first time. "The timescale of his recovery will be confirmed later," a club statement said. "But it is clear he will not be available this year."

Parshivlyuk has been ever-present in UEFA Champions League Group F, where Spartak are second, three points adrift of Chelsea FC after their 2-0 defeat by the English side last week. He joins Nikita Bazhenov and Kirill Kombarov on the treatment table. Midfielder Alex is expected to feature when Spartak visit Chelsea on 3 November.