The head coach of the Russian national football team Valery Karpin announced the expanded squad for the 2022 World Cup qualifying matches with Cyprus and Croatia.

This time there were 41 players on the list - seven more than last.

Thus, the team decided to play it safe in case of possible injuries, because before the September and October meetings, Valery Karpin was forced to call in new performers due to injuries.

In the final roster, which will be announced on November 1, according to him, 27-28 people will remain.

⚡ Expanded squad for the decisive qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup against Cyprus and Croatia!

pic.twitter.com/HjgETY0vmp

- Russian national team (@TeamRussia) October 25, 2021

“After the announcements, the players played two or three more matches, some were injured.

Therefore, we decided to publish such, let's say, a very extended list, which will later be adjusted for the final one, ”the RFU official website quotes Karpin.

In his opinion, it should be borne in mind that some players have just recovered.

There are also players who risk missing the match with the Croats if they receive yellow cards in the duel with Cyprus.

“Since the list is very extensive, there are also newcomers.

The coaching staff monitors all the players who can help the national team ... On November 7-8, the team gathers in St. Petersburg and will begin preparations.

The trainings will take place at the Petrovsky stadium and the Gazprom Arena.

A flight to Split is scheduled for November 13, ”the mentor added.

As for the goalkeepers, once again the headquarters included five people at once.

However, this line was not without changes - Soslan Dzhanaev from Sochi returned to the team.

Also, for the first time, Ilya Lantratov from Khimki and Nikita Khaikin from Bodø-Glimt were invited to the national team, which last week sensationally defeated Roma (6: 1) in the Conference League.

The first coach of the Norwegian champion Dmitry Gulenkov is sure that his ex-ward deserves a challenge and is fully ready to play for the national team.

“Of course, I am glad to see Nikita on the expanded list of the Russian national team.

Well done, boy, he achieved what he was going for.

We have few goalkeepers who perform so well in Europe.

Then everything depends on him.

Let's see how it shows itself, ”Sport24 quotes Gulenkov.

At the same time, it is obvious that Matvey Safonov from Krasnodar and Marinato Guilherme from Lokomotiv, who played for the national team in the fall, will be competing for the title of the first number, and are also consistently appearing in their teams.

According to the coach of goalkeepers of the national team Vitaly Kafanov, only their challenge raises no doubts.

The flanks of the defense should cause less headache for Karpin, because Vyacheslav Karavaev (Zenit) and Ilya Samoshnikov (Rubin) have returned to the ranks, who were injured before the October matches.

For the first time, 23-year-old Danil Krugovoy from Zenit was summoned.

In October, he took part in four matches of Petersburgers in all tournaments.

Not without newcomers in the midfield line.

Previously not played for the national team Konstantin Maradishvili (Lokomotiv), Alexander Chernikov (Krasnodar) and Roman Yezhov (Wings of the Soviets).

The midfielder of Samartsev admitted that he was shocked by being included in the extended list.

“It came as a surprise to me.

My task is to play, I didn't even think about it - but here it is ... I was pleasantly surprised.

I was driving from training, and our press attaché wrote to me: "You are on the extended list."

At first I thought it was some kind of joke.

Then he looked more closely - and it really happened.

In the first seconds there was a thought in my head: "How is this even possible?"

For me this is a miracle, "- quotes the words of Yezhov Sport24.

Also, one cannot fail to note the return of Alexander Golovin.

The AS Monaco midfielder has recovered from his injury, although he has not played since early October.

However, now Karpin has another performer who can take on the functions of a playmaker.

Arsen Zakharyan (Dynamo), Alexey Miranchuk (Atalanta) and Zelimkhan Bakaev (Spartak) may well add creativity. 

The list of attackers also looks very curious.

In addition to Fedor Smolov (Lokomotiv) and Anton Zabolotny (CSKA), the top scorer of the RPL Hamid Agalarov (Ufa), who has ten goals in the championship, and 19-year-old Dynamo player Konstantin Tyukavin, who has already made his debut for the national team ...

His agent Alexei Safonov, who believes that the talented footballer has already fully grown to the basis of the national team, was delighted at the invitation of the young striker of the blue and white.

“The guy works, scores in every match, is in great shape.

His call to the main team is fully justified.

Most of all, I like the fact that everyone criticizes Tyukavin, and he silently goes to every match and makes the result.

Yes, with Spartak I could score the third goal and finish the derby.

Didn't hit the goal, well, and sometimes Killian Mbappe misses.

It happens for everyone, we don't go through a video game, ”the agent emphasized.

But Ivan Sergeev from "Wings of the Soviets" for the first time even got into the expanded composition of the national team.

And earlier Karpin spoke warmly about him.

And this is not surprising, because in the current RPL season, the striker has already scored six goals in 13 matches.

“We are very happy for Sergeev and expected this to happen as quickly as possible.

We have the same tasks - getting into the final squad of the national team, we believe in our players.

The question of why he was not called earlier is for the head coach.

I will call this challenge well-deserved, ”said the sports director of the club Sergei Kornilenko.

However, more attention was paid to the absence of Zenit forward Artyom Dziuba in the list.

We will remind, the 33-year-old footballer got into the extended squad before the games with Slovakia and Slovenia, but refused the challenge, citing poor form.

Now Karpin himself refused his services, although Artyom scored in five matches of the national championship in a row.

The not very successful game of the veteran in the Champions League could well convince the specialist that such a striker is simply not needed in his model with high and energy-consuming pressure.

This again gave rise to fears that Dziuba would no longer be called up to the national team while Karpin was in charge.

So, ex-Zenit coach Vlastimil Petrzela is confident that the forward will end his career in the national team.

“I'm not surprised that Artyom is not on the extended list.

I knew that Karpin would not call him anymore ... Dziuba is an atypical power footballer, he is not fast, not a dribbler.

It seems to me that now you shouldn't wait for Artyom in the national team - he will no longer be called.

Time goes by, it is getting harder and harder for Dziuba to play on two fronts.

He is already an adult, after all, ”the specialist said.

According to the famous commentator Dmitry Guberniev, the situation for the Zenit striker is becoming alarming, although he had a chance to return to the team.

“Everyone who should play, and Dziuba, as I expected, bites his elbows, because in the next two matches Russia will do without him.

Moreover, they can solve the problem without it.

Nobody says "I am a coach", there is always a coaching staff.

I am sure the decision on Dziuba is collegial.

Whether he goes to the national team or not is the second question.

He could have jumped on the step of the train going to Qatar, ”Guberniev emphasized.

On November 11, Russia will play in St. Petersburg with Cyprus, and on the 14th, Karpin's wards in Split will meet with Croatia.

Two rounds before the end of the qualifying stage, the Russians are leading in Group H with 19 points in the asset.

Croats are in second place, two points behind.