Alan Dzagoev has insisted that the Russian national team is ready for the upcoming group stage games against Northern Ireland and Israel under newly appointed Fabio Capello
The Russian national team will kick-start the 2014 World Cup qualifiers group stage games against Northern Ireland and Israel under newly appointed head coach, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Fabio-c13152 Capello. The Euro 2008 semi-finalists will host the Purple and
White prior to their visit to Israel.
However, they will be without several key players as Capello has excluded http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Andrei-Arshavin-c5771.
CSKA Moscow and Russian national team attacking midfielder, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Alan-Dzagoev-c4249 has lamented Arshavin’s absence ahead of the start of the tournament, saying that the entire squad will miss the services of out-of-form Arsenal striker.
Arshavin, who returned to the Emirates stadium after spending a six-month loan spell at Zenit St. Petersburg, failed to get his national team call-up following the player’s lack of form.
Capello preferred to play Dynamo Moscow’s http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Artem-Dzyuba-c6682 over Arshavin, who captained his national side at Euro 2012, in the final 23-man squad ahead of the tournament.
Dzagoev, who earned himself a name in International football after scoring three goals for his side in the European tournament in June, insisted that Russia trust their new manager and are raring to go in absence of several star
players.
“To be honest, I cannot imagine life without all of them in the team. Arshavin have been a constant member of the team and it is a shock not to see him in the team. But we respect our manager’s decisions. Injuries have forced Capello
to make some key decision in the process.”
“Who will be the leader of the team? I don’t think I can comment on this situation. As for the captain's duties, I think Alan Dzagoev is capable of taking this huge responsibility on his shoulders.” The Russian Cup winner was quoted
as saying.
Dzagoev assured the fans of starting the tournament with a win against the Irish team, telling them that the team is raring to go after a disappointing European campaign.
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