Yartsev calls up uncapped duo

Impressive performance
Both players are uncapped, although they did travel with an experimental Russia squad to Japan in February. The 20-year-old Bystrov played impressively on the opening day of the Russian season when he came off the bench to inspire Zenit to a 3-2 win against SC Rotor Volgograd, scoring as they overturned a two-goal deficit.

Key figure
The 28-year-old Sharonov, meanwhile, is one the key figures in the surprise recent success of Rubin, who finished third in the Premier-Liga in their first top-flight campaign after winning promotion in 2002.

Suspended duo included
Another surprise is Yartsev's decision to call up FC Kuban Krasnodar defender Andrei Solomatin. More predictable, however, is his inclusion of PFC CSKA Moskva defender Sergei Ignashevitch and FC Dinamo Moskva striker Dmitri Bulykin, despite their five-match domestic bans following last weekend's Moscow derby brawl. Finally, Zenit's Vyachslav Malafeev, the regular reserve goalkeeper, is missing with a broken wrist.

Russia squad
Ovchinnikov, Akinfeev, Evseev, Sennikov, Ignashevitch, Onopko, Solomatin, Sharonov, Smertin, Alenichev, Gusev, Izmailov, Loskov, Mostovoi, Semshov, Bystrov, Radimov, Bulykin, Sychev, Kerzhakov.