Guus Hiddink has named his 23-man squad for Russia's World Cup qualifiers with Germany and Azerbaijan.
Pavlyuchenko and Zhirkov called up despite lack of playing time
Russia manager Guus Hiddink has named his 23-man squad for the crucial World Cup qualifiers against Germany and Azerbaijan.
Russia know that a win at home to Germany on 10th October will take them to the top of Group Four with just one point separating the two teams going into the final two games.
Hiddink has called up Everton winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Andrey Arshavin, who has only just recovered from the groin injury he aggravated playing for his country against Wales earlier this month.
Also in the squad is Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. The 27-year-old has started just one game this season but remains Russia's top scorer in qualifying with five goals.
Chelsea midfielder Yuri Zhirkov has also received a call-up despite only making his first appearance for the Blues in the Carling Cup in midweek due to injury.
Russia squad:
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeyev (CSKA Moscow), Vyacheslav Malafeyev (Zenit St Petersburg), Soslan Dzhanayev (Spartak Moscow)
Defenders: Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Alexei Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Vasily Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Renat Yanbayev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexander Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg).
Midfielders: Yuri Zhirkov (Chelsea), Igor Semshov (Zenit St Petersburg), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Vladimir Bystrov (Zenit St Petersburg), Igor Denisov (Zenit St Petersburg), Sergei Semak (Rubin Kazan), Alan Dzagoyev (CSKA Moscow), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Everton), Alexei Rebko (FK Moscow), Dmitry Torbinsky (Lokomotiv Moscow)
Strikers: Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Stuttgart), Alexander Kerzhakov (Dynamo Moscow), Alexander Bukharov (Rubin Kazan).
