The composition will be improved: 40 people have been added to the expanded list of the Russian national team.

The press service of the Russian Football Union (RFU) has published an expanded squad of the national team for the March training camp and friendly matches with Nicaragua and Mali. The games will be held on March 27 in Krasnodar and March 31 in St. Petersburg and will be the first for the national team after the defeat by Chile, which interrupted a 22-match unbeaten streak. The preliminary list includes 40 players, including three potential debutants. At the same time, Akron striker Artyom Dzyuba was not included in the squad, as was Alexander Kerzhakov, the best scorer in the history of the national team, who ended his career, despite earlier hints of their possible return.

Debutants

Among the newcomers: Lokomotiv forward Alexander Rudenko, Akhmat striker Georgy Melkadze and CSKA defender Kirill Danilov. The latter is probably not well known to the general public. At the adult level, he played only two matches: he played the full 90 minutes with Akhmat in the RPL (0:1) and came out at the very end of the cup meeting with Krasnodar (3:1).

— The arrival of the young Kirill Danilov from CSKA is more likely for the future, it is not a fact that he will be on the final list. But his appearance on the expanded list marks his progress, shows a signal to other young players that they are being watched," TASS quoted former national football team player Dmitry Sychev as saying.

The challenge of 28-year-old Melkadze could also surprise. This season, Georgy scored five goals in the Russian Premier League and scored once in the Russian Cup.

"We are happy for Georgy, he is trying his best," Akhmat CEO Ahmed Aidamirov told Izvestia. — He proved to everyone, and first of all to himself, that he is a high-level football player and deserves a call-up to the national team. I hope that he will be on the final list.

Lokomotiv player Rudenko has five goals and three assists in the RPL this season, as well as two assists in the Russian Cup. The Spartak graduate, after a good season at Khimki, did not get lost in the top club, gaining a foothold at the core of the Railwaymen. Therefore, getting at least into the extended list looks logical.

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The Legionnaires

Four legionnaires also received the call. Of the Russians who play in foreign leagues, Alexander Golovin (Monaco), Arsen Zakharyan (Real Sociedad), Alexey Miranchuk (Atlanta) and Matvey Safonov (PSG) are on the expanded list.

Almost all of them have been performing brightly lately. Golovin, for example, is currently going through a series of four consecutive matches with productive actions. Miranchuk scored a double against Real Salt Lake on March 8. Safonov pushed Luca Chevalier out of the gate.

Only Zakharyan is experiencing difficulties, who has scored one Cup goal this season, but the main thing is that he has no health problems now.

"It's very nice that Arsen was included in the extended list of the Russian national team," Gennady Golubin, a representative of the football player, told Izvestia. — I think that it will be included in the final one. Health problems faded into the background, and playing time appeared. He plays in one of the strongest leagues. That's why Karpin calls him.

Vyacheslav Koloskov, Honorary President of the RFU, has a different opinion.

"It is clear that Zakharyan will not play,— Koloskov stressed to Izvestia. — Karpin specifically included his last name in the list to demonstrate that he is known and remembered. Regarding Safonov, there will be no matches involving PSG at this time. Matvey won't miss anything, and playing in Russia won't damage his current position. Safonov is the number one goalkeeper in our national team.

Without Dzyuba and Kerzhakov

Otherwise, there were no sensations. The day before, the announcement from the national team's press service also mentioned the top scorers of the national team: Artem Dzyuba (31 goals for the Russian national team, according to official RFU statistics) and Alexander Kerzhakov (30 goals).

In the video, Karpin, in the role of a detective, blows the dust off the folders of the Akron forward and Kerzhakov, who ended his career, hinting that their history in the national team is most likely not completely completed.

However, both were not included in the expanded list. As did Amir Ibragimov, although in the same video the head coach of the national team held several Manchester United cards in his hands, for which the footballer plays for the youth team.

Recall that Dzyuba was called up to the national team for the first time in four years in March 2025. Artyom played in the match against Grenada (5-0), scoring a goal that allowed him to beat Kerzhakov.