The Russian national team has announced its squad for the upcoming friendly matches against Iran and Bolivia, with a notable absentee being key midfielder Arsen Zakharyan.

Zakharyan, who plays for La Liga’s Real Sociedad, was a significant exclusion from Head Coach Valery Karpin’s selection. In response to inquiries, Real Sociedad issued a clarifying statement, asserting that the decision was purely a coaching choice. “Real Sociedad and the player himself have nothing to do with his absence from the Russian national team’s camp,” the statement read. “This question concerns Mr. Karpin.”

The 21-year-old playmaker is widely regarded as one of Russia’s most talented players, making his omission for the fixture against Team Melli particularly surprising.

Valery Karpin. Head Coach of Russia

Russia’s Full Squad for Friendlies vs. Iran and Bolivia:

• Goalkeepers: Matvey Safonov (Paris Saint-Germain), Alexander Maksimenko (Spartak Moscow), Stanislav Agkatsev (Krasnodar), Denis Adamov (Zenit St. Petersburg)
• Defenders: Mingyan Boyev (Baltika Kaliningrad), Ilya Vakhania, Viktor Melkhin (both FC Rostov), Yuri Gorshkov (Zenit St. Petersburg), Alexander Silyanov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Igor Diveev, Matvey Lukin, Daniil Krugovoy (all CSKA Moscow), Maxim Osipenko (Dynamo Moscow), Ruslan Litvinov (Spartak Moscow)
• Midfielders: Daniil Glebov, Anton Miranchuk, Daniil Fomin (all Dynamo Moscow), Matvey Kislyak, Ivan Oblyakov (both CSKA Moscow), Alexey Batrakov, Dmitry Barinov, Zelimkhan Bakayev (all Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexey Miranchuk (Atalanta), Nail Umyarov (Spartak Moscow), Lechi Sadulayev (Akhmat Grozny), Konstantin Kuchayev (FC Rostov)
• Forwards: Dmitry Vorobyov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Tamerlan Musayev (CSKA Moscow), Ivan Sergeyev (Dynamo Moscow)

Following the matches against Iran (in Volgograd) and Bolivia, the Russian team is scheduled for further friendlies against Peru and Chile as they continue their preparations.