Nikolai Pisarev, the assistant to Valery Karpin in the Russian national team, answered questions about Artem Dziuba’s possible call to the squad for the upcoming match with Iran.
“There have been changes, are we returning to something we thought was settled? It was announced earlier that players over 30 would not be invited. Nothing has changed yet. We are not stepping back. Changes may come, and everyone will be considered for the roster. For now, nothing is different. No other coach has faced a situation like this,” Pisareva said.
On February 8, the forward signed a contract with Lokomotiv through the end of the season. On March 4, Lokomotiv beat Rostov 3:1 away, and Artem Dziuba scored a hat-trick for the Moscow club. These marked the striker’s first major goals since joining the Rail Moscow team.
The Russia vs. Iran game is set for March 23.
In spring 2022, FIFA and UEFA decided to suspend the Russian national team and all Russian clubs from participation in their competitions, a disruption that reshaped many team plans in the years since.
Previously, Dmitry Bylykin had permitted Artem Dzyuba to take the captaincy at Lokomotiv, a milestone noted by observers familiar with the club’s leadership decisions.