Russia’s new national team coach Valery Karpin has sprung a number of surprises in his first ever squad list ahead of the three games from the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifications, including against Malta on September 7 at the stadium of Spartak Moscow.
One of the major surprises is the non-inclusion of clinical scorer and national team captain Artem Dzyuba, who is linked with a move from Zenit St Petersburg to Fenerbahce of Turkey.
Dzyuba, who scored 30 goals in 55 caps, was left from the starting line-up by Zenit in their 1-1 draw against Lokomotiv Moscow over the weekend.
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