Russia captain Roman Shirokov has been ruled out of the World Cup with an Achilles tendon injury.
The 32-year-old played no part in any of Russia's three warm-up games, which has prompted Fabio Capello to omit the midfielder from his 23-man squad. Pavel Mogilevets of Rubin Kazan has replaced him in the squad.
"On Monday, Shirokov will fly to Finland to undergo surgery there," Capello told a press conference.
"Shirokov plays a big role in the team, but now others have the opportunity to show what they are capable of doing. I am one of those people who believes that the glass is always half full.
"Mogilevets will replace Shirokov in our squad but we still have time before June 15 to make final changes in the squad's lineup."
Russia beat Morocco 2-0 in their final World Cup warm-up game today.
Written by
Kristian Johnson
Kristian Johnson
