Russia boss names an entirely home-based squad for World Cup

Published Jun. 2, 2014 5:51 a.m. ET

foxsports

MOSCOW (AP) Russia coach Fabio Capello named an entirely home-based squad for the World Cup on Monday, with all 23 players drawn from clubs in the country.

Captain Roman Shirokov made the cut despite missing both of Russia's warm-up games with an Achilles tendon injury. He is one of five players from the squad that reached the Euro 2008 semifinals, along with goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, winger Yuri Zhirkov and the center-back pairing of Sergei Ignashevich and Vasily Berezutsky.

Eight of the final 23 have played five international games or fewer as Capello seeks to give a new generation of players vital World Cup experience ahead of Russia hosting the tournament in 2018.

Reading striker Pavel Pogrebnyak was among seven players dropped from the provisional squad.

Dynamo Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg lead the way among Russian clubs represented on the team, contributing six players each, while Russian champion CSKA Moscow has five.

The last World Cup warm-up match for Russia is against Morocco on Friday in Moscow before they fly to Brazil on Sunday. So far, the team has beaten Slovakia 1-0 at home and drawn 1-1 away to Norway as part of their preparations.

Russia plays South Korea, Belgium and Algeria in the World Cup group stage in Brazil.

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Squad:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Yuri Lodygin (Zenit St. Petersburg), Sergei Ryzhikov (Rubin Kazan).

Defenders: Vasily Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Georgy Shchennikov (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Granat (Dynamo Moscow), Alexei Kozlov (Dynamo Moscow), Andrei Yeshchenko (Anzhi Makhachkala), Dmitry Kombarov (Spartak Moscow), Andrei Semyonov (Terek Grozny).

Midfielders: Igor Denisov (Dynamo Moscow), Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow), Roman Shirokov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Denis Glushakov (Spartak Moscow), Viktor Faizulin (Zenit St. Petersburg), Oleg Shatov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Yuri Zhirkov (Dynamo Moscow), Alexander Samedov (Lokomotiv Moscow).

Forwards: Alexei Ionov (Dynamo Moscow), Alexander Kokorin (Dynamo Moscow), Maxim Kanunnikov (Amkar Perm), Alexander Kerzhakov (Zenit St. Petersburg).