Yartsev wants to end on high

Dmitri Alenichev will captain Russia against Greece tomorrow in a match which coach Georgi Yartsev sees as an opportunity to exit the finals on a high.

'Utmost importance'
Russia have been eliminated after defeats by Group A rivals Spain and Portugal, but Yartsev said: "This match is far from the ordinary for us - on the contrary, it is of utmost importance as it can affect final standings in the group." With this in mind, he denied that he would give some of his reserve players a game. "I do not have a duty to let everyone play, but I do have a duty to win," he said.

Duo suspended
Yartsev will be without two key players with captain Aleksei Smertin and goalkeeper Sergei Ovchinnikov both suspended. "We have lost our captain through a ban," he said. "I have to say again that we will see a new-look defence - the third in as many games. This is very problematic for us."

Injury crisis
Yartsev, who revealed that FC Porto midfield player Alenichev would replace Smertin as captain, cited injuries to his defenders as the main cause for their disappointing performances. "If it were not for the injuries to [Viktor] Onopko and [Sergei] Ignashevitch, we would have an experienced and reliable defence," he said.

Sennikov question
While Viacheslav Malafeev and Roman Sharonov have all but ensured their starts as replacements in defence tomorrow, Yartsev hinted that either of the full-backs - Dmitri Sennikov or Vadim Evseev - might be rested tomorrow. "Sennikov has missed a month of training and still does not feel confident," the coach said. Yartsev is expected to use a 4-4-2 system in which any two of his four strikers could play.