Dzyuba and Glushakov are together again. But how will they be in the role of spare?

There are few new names on Karpin’s list, but what a lot!

Valery Karpin caused Denis Glushakov and brought us back to 2016. The midfielder of Khimki is not bad in the first matches, but mostly statistically. I hope the coaching staff was guided not only by 6 goals in 8 matches. And if Karpin sees the player as a pure defensive player, then in this position there are already a lot of cool guys. Denis has not been in the national team since March 2018. And now he is unlikely to be the first option for Karpin. Moreover, it is not on the final list yet. But the player himself is probably pleased.

Karpin called Artem Dziubu – the last time Dzyuba and Glushakov fought together at Euro 2016, when Slutsky took the team to France. Then Artyom dropped out of the squad, and Denis played the last matches. Already Cherchesov did not include the midfielder in the application for the home world championship, and the striker got there. One became a hero, the other seemed to end his career in the national team. But now they can be together again.

Glushakov is already in the top 3 scorers of the RPL season. Will Karpin challenge him to the national team?

It is interesting that from 2016 the team still has Guilherme, Golovin and Smolov… Not so little for a five-year period.

Dziuba’s challenge is not surprising. The striker has regained his form, but it is not clear how Karpin is going to use him. As a base player or a character? The head coach frankly says that he considers Fedor Smolov the best forward in the country. It is logical that he will become the main one in the next two matches. Why then take Dziuba to the camp? To keep on the bench and release for 10-15 minutes? This is unlikely to suit both the player and the coach. Dziuba does not know how to sit on a bench when he does not feel his importance. Especially in the national team and especially under Smolov. Perhaps it was not for nothing that Karpin said at a press conference that the list with Dzyuba was not final and everything could change. And if this really happens, there will probably be no more Artyom in the team with this coach.

In general, Valery has 6 new surnames: Safonov, Kritsyuk, Glushakov, Zinkovsky, Dziuba and Agalarov. And again as many as 5 goalkeepers. Apparently Vitaly Kafanov enjoys meeting and working together with each specific goalkeeper, because Guilherme will probably still play. Zinkovsky and Agalarov are two young men who showed themselves great at the start. The first one is pulling Wings, the second one scores an abnormally high amount. But then again, each of them can easily fly out of the composition. So it’s too early to discuss even their theoretical chances of playing time.

Karpin must call Agalarov to the national team. Its performance cannot be ignored.

Now it was important for Karpin to identify those he was counting on. And who needs to keep themselves in shape. This is the only mission of the expanded composition, because in a week it can change a lot.