The return of Samedov and the search for a forward: what happens at Lokomotiv after the change of leadership

Smolov's recovery from injury

Lokomotiv became one of the first teams of the Russian Premier League (RPL) to go to the winter training camp.

On Thursday morning, the railroad workers flew to Spain.

Until February 15th, they will be preparing for the resumption of the season in Marbella.

And one of the Muscovites' rivals in test matches will presumably be Rostov.

On Wednesday, the red-green players underwent a traditional medical examination, after which the team's doctor Nikita Karlitsky spoke about the condition of the injured players.

So, according to him, Fyodor Smolov, who missed the end of the year, is ready to work in Spain.

“He recovered and feels fine.

Works on an individual program.

Maybe for the first day or two he will have pulling loads.

We will decide already at the training camp.

Perhaps he will start working with the team from the first day.

In principle, he is ready, "- quotes the words of Karlitskiy" Sport-Express ".

Ahead is a five-hour flight to Spanish Malaga, from where the team will get to Marbella, where until February 15 they will prepare for the resumption of the season 🔜 pic.twitter.com/JmuWOj10Qi

- Lokomotiv (@fclokomotiv) January 14, 2021

The doctor also noted that Dmitry Barinov is recovering ahead of schedule, who received a severe knee injury at the end of August.

Karlitskiy suggested that the midfielder would return to duty by the beginning of the second training camp.

“At the first stage, Dima will work individually, but his program will probably be even harder than that of the other guys.

Just with certain nuances, ”added the medic.

But forward Ze Luis and defender Boris Rotenberg continue to recover from various injuries and did not fly to Marbella with the team.

“It takes time after the operation.

It was successful, the player feels good.

But there are certain moments that we cannot speed up in any way - these are bone fusion, bolt adaptation.

We are planning to bring him to the second camp, ”explained Karlitsky.

Finally, the doctor promised that as soon as "there is an opportunity", the Lokomotiv players will be vaccinated for the coronavirus.

In his opinion, this is the only way to protect players from infection during the season.

Rearrangements in the leadership

Meanwhile, the club's staff continues to be seriously updated.

At the end of last year, CEO Vasily Kiknadze and Chairman of the Board of Directors Anatoly Meshcheryakov left their posts.

Their places were taken by Vladimir Leonchenko and Alexander Plutnik, respectively.

This was not the end of it.

So, the curator of the academy and the double, Vladimir Kuzmichev, completed his work in the club.

According to "Sport-Express", Alexander Katasonov, who has been working in it since 2009, may become the new head of the academy.

For the past few years, he has combined the positions of head coach of the youth team of Lokomotiv and the sports director of the academy.

Probably, the deputy sports director of the club, Andrey Losyuk, who was involved in foreign transfers at the club, will also leave his post.

According to media reports, the contract expiring in January of this year will not be extended with him.

As for the new people in Lokomotiv, the former midfielder of the team Alexander Samedov has been appointed to the position of the senior breeder of the club for youth football.

As part of the railwaymen, the pupil of "Spartak" played 215 matches in all tournaments, in which he scored 37 goals.

He became the winner of the Russian Cup three times with red and green.

Samedov left Loko in early 2017 due to a conflict with Yuri Semin.

“I am very happy to return to Lokomotiv and the beginning of a new stage in my career.

I want to use all my experience to develop young footballers.

My responsibilities primarily include assessing professional qualities and helping in the development of older players of the academy, Loko U19 and Kazanka.

This is a very interesting and ambitious task.

Lokomotiv has every opportunity to educate good players, ”the club's official website quotes the ex-footballer as saying.

But the head coach of the team Marko Nikolic is likely to keep his post.

According to Sport24, the management of the club will give the Serb the opportunity to finalize it until the end of the season and only after that will make a decision about his future.

Schalke's interest in Ignatiev

As for the activities of railway workers in the transfer market, the club is doing without acquisitions and losses.

However, in early January, Italian journalist Pietro Lazzerini wrote on his Twitter that Loko is interested in Fiorentina's Ivorian striker Christian Cuame and is allegedly ready to pay € 15 million for him.

The 23-year-old striker spent two good seasons with Genoa (nine goals + nine assists in all tournaments), after which Fiorentina bought the rights to him for € 11 million in September last year. However, the African is not yet in his new position. shines - only two goals in all tournaments of the current season and being on the bench.

Another Italian edition of Viola News reported that Kuame is also interested in Zenit.

Lokomotiv really needs a young striker, because all the forwards on the team's roster, with the exception of Vitaly Lisakovich, have stepped over or will soon overstep the 30-year mark.

However, so far, such rumors have not been confirmed.

The transfer of 33-year-old Vladislav Ignatiev to the German "Schalke-04", about which the Telegram channel Sport_inside wrote, is also unlikely.

The defender himself avoided answering the question about his future directly.

“I read the news about Schalke, but I am a Lokomotiv player, so I don’t want to comment on it,” Sport-Express quotes Ignatiev.

But defender Brian Idovu, who plays for Khimki on loan, will not return to the team and will sign a full-fledged contract with the Moscow Region club, according to the Championship.

At the end of May, his agreement with Lokomotiv expires, which the player does not intend to renew.

Waiting for a personnel revolution

Returning to the topic of the possible transfer of Kuame, it should be emphasized that Lokomotiv needs to strengthen not only the attack line.

The most problematic position for the team is the position of the left-back, which is occupied by Maciej Rybus practically without any alternative.

Moreover, the Pole will turn 32 in August.

According to sports journalist Ivan Karpov, the 22-year-old Akhmat defender Maxim Nenakhov, who is able to play on both flanks of defense, can replace the veteran.

In the current RPL season, the Dynamo pupil played 17 matches, in which he gave two assists.

The club seemed to have closed the "hole" in the center of defense with the acquisition of Vitaly Lystsov and Slobodan Rajkovic, however, there is still no equivalent replacement for Murilo and Vedranu Chorluka Nikolic.

In addition, the captain periodically falls out of action due to various injuries, which is not surprising, given the age of the Croat - in February he will cross the 35-year mark.

In addition, in the summer he will end his contract with Lokomotiv.

Also in June, Raikovich, Ignatiev, Rotenberg, Anton Kochenkov, Eder and Mikhail Lysov will become free agents.

In the team, there is clearly an overuse of age players.

At the moment, there are ten players from the age of 30 and older on the roster at once, and Zé Luis will join their number in the near future.

Obviously railroad workers need rejuvenation.

But, probably, the club will carry out serious work on the transfer market only in the summer, when the future of Nikolic becomes clear.

In winter, Lokomotiv may limit itself to pinpoint reinforcement.