Russia take a chance on injured keeper Todua

The injured Elvira Todua has been named in Russia's 23-strong squad for UEFA Women's EURO 2013.

Todua suffered a shoulder injury on 22 June as Russia claimed a 1-0 friendly victory over Ukraine despite being down to ten players for over half the game. Coach Sergei Lavrentiev has nevertheless included his first-choice goalkeeper in the party that kick-off their campaign in Sweden against France on 12 July.

Todua is one of 11 survivors of the squad that returned for Finland four years ago after losing all three of their group games. It means there is no place for WFC Rossiyanka defender Nadezhda Koltakova and uncapped FK Kuzbass Kemerovo defender Ksenia Kovalenko, who were shorn from an initial squad of 25.

Russia continued preparations with a 6-0 victory over Wales' Under-19 side earlier on Monday. They will travel to Norway on Thursday ahead of a meeting with their hosts' national team the following day. Then it is on to Sweden, and after meeting France, England and Spain await in Group C.

Russia squad
Goalkeepers: Yulia Grichenko (WFC Kubanochka), Elvira Todua (FC Rossiyanka), Margarita Shirokova (FC Rossiyanka).

Defenders: Yulia Gordeeva (ShVSM-Izmaylovo Moskva), Anastasia Kostyukova (FK Zorkiy Krasnogorsk), Daria Makarenko (WFC Zvezda 2005 Perm), Elena Medved (FK Zorkiy Krasnogorsk), Natalia Pertseva (FC Rossiyanka), Ksenia Tsybutovich (Ryazan-VDV).

Midfielders: Yulia Bessolova (ShVSM-Izmaylovo Moskva), Maria Dyachkova (WFC Zvezda 2005 Perm), Anastasia Pozdeeva (WFC Zvezda 2005 Perm), Elena Morozova (FK Zorkiy Krasnogorsk), Olga Petrova (FC Rossiyanka), Tatiana Skotnikova (FC Rossiyanka), Valentina Savchenkova (Ryazan-VDV), Elena Terekhova (Ryazan-VDV), Ekaterina Stepanenko (ShVSM-Izmaylovo Moskva), Alla Sidorovskaya (ShVSM-Izmaylovo Moskva).

Forwards: Nelli Korovkina (ShVSM-Izmaylovo Moskva), Olesya Kurochkina (ShVSM-Izmaylovo Moskva), Ekaterina Sochneva (FK Zorkiy Krasnogorsk), Natalia Shlyapina (FC Rossiyanka).