Russia select party for Portugal

Having seen a preliminary 27-man squad reduced by injury, Russia coach Georgi Yartsev today cut FC Rubin Kazan midfield player Denis Boyarintsev from the fold to leave him with a 23-man squad for UEFA EURO 2004™.

Defensive cover
Yartsev ran the final eye over his squad this evening during a friendly fixture against a team of foreign talent based in Russia, the national team winning 3-1. Boyarintsev was always likely to be cut, though, with the coach short on defensive cover following the withdrawal of captain Viktor Onopko and Sergei Ignashevitch - his first-choice partnership in the heart of the defence.

Declared unfit
Onopko pulled out today having failed to shake off a knee injury sustained on duty with FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast, while Ignashevitch was declared unfit yesterday along with striker Aleksandr Panov. Boyarintsev will also miss out on Portugal, with Yartsev overlooking the winger in favour of FC Torpedo Moskva's Igor Semshov and Vladimir Bystrov of FC Zenit St. Peterburg.

Captain Smertin
There are eleven midfield players in the squad and just five defenders. Three of those - recent debutants Aleksandr Anyukov and Aleksei Bugayev, and Roman Sharonov - have just four caps between them, meaning the experienced Portsmouth FC midfield player Aleksei Smertin is likely to drop back into defence. The 29-year-old will also captain the side in Onopko's absence.

Russia squad
 
Goalkeepers
Viacheslav Malafeev (FC Zenit St. Peterburg)
Sergei Ovchinnikov (FC Lokomotiv Moskva)
Igor Akinfeev (PFC CSKA Moskva)
 
Defenders
Vadim Evseev (FC Lokomotiv Moskva)
Dmitri Sennikov (FC Lokomotiv Moskva)
Aleksei Bugayev (FC Torpedo Moskva)
Roman Sharonov (FC Rubin Kazan)
Aleksandr Anyukov (FC Krylya Sovetov Samara)
 
Midfielders
Aleksei Smertin (Portsmouth FC)
Vladislav Radimov (FC Zenit St. Peterburg)
Marat Izmailov (FC Lokomotiv Moskva)
Andrei Kariaka (FC Krylya Sovetov Samara)
Rolan Gusev (PFC CSKA Moskva)
Vladimir Bystrov (FC Zenit St. Peterburg)
Evgeni Aldonin (PFC CSKA Moskva)
Aleksandr Mostovoi (RC Celta de Vigo)
Dmitri Alenichev (FC Porto)
Dmitri Loskov (FC Lokomotiv Moskva)
Igor Semshov (FC Torpedo Moskva)
 
Forwards
Dmitri Bulykin (FC Dinamo Moskva)
Dmitri Sychev (FC Lokomotiv Moskva)
Aleksandr Kerzhakov (FC Zenit St. Peterburg)
Dmitri Kirichenko (PFC CSKA Moskva)