Russia names 35-man World Cup squad

Russia manager Stanislav Cherchesov has announced on Friday a 35-man provisional squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The 54-year-old called up 28 players for the training camp, which is set to start on May 18 at Novogorsk, and named seven other players as reserves, according to the Russian Football Union official website.

Russia will be missing the services of defenders Viktor Vasin and Giorgi Jikia and forward Aleksandr Kokorin through injuries.

The Russian national team are scheduled to face Austria on May 30 and Turkey on June 5 in preparation for the World Cup.

The 2018 World Cup hosts were drawn in Group A alongside Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. They will kick off the tournament on June 14 against Saudi Arabia, before playing the Pharaohs on the 19th and will face Uruguay in their final group game six days later.

Preliminary squad:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Club Brugge), Soslan Dzhanaev (Rubin Kazan), Andrey Lunyov (FC Zenit)

Defenders: Vladimir Granat, Ruslan Kambolov, Fedor Kudryashov (FC Rubin), Ilya Kutepov (FC Spartak Moscow), Roman Neustadter (Fenerbahce), Konstantin Rausch (FC Dynamo Moscow), Andrey Semenov (FC Akhmat Grozny), Igor Smolnikov (FC Zenit), Mario Fernandes (CSKA Moscow)

Midfielders: Yuri Gazinskiy (FC Krasnodar), Aleksandr Golovin, Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow), Aleksandr Erokhin, Yuri Zhirkov, Daler Kuzyaev (FC Zenit), Roman Zobnin, Aleksandr Samedov (FC Spartak Moscow), Anton Miranchuk (FC Lokomotiv Moscow), Aleksandr Tashaev (FC Dynamo Moscow), Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal)

Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Arsenal Tula), Aleksey Miranchuk (FC Lokomotiv Moscow), Fedor Smolov (FC Krasnodar), Fedor Chalov (CSKA Moscow)

Reserves: Martello Guilherme, Vladislav Ignatyev (FC Lokomotiv Moscow), Dmitri Kombarov, Denis Glushakov (FC Spartak Moscow), Anton Shvets (FC Akhmat Grozny), Anton Zabolotny, Dmitry Poloz (FC Zenit).