Marat Izmailov will start Friday's friendly against Uruguay, a last chance for the Sporting Lisbon midfielder to convince Russia coach Dick Advocaat he is worthy of a place in the Euro 2012 squad.
Izmailov, 31, is set to receive his first cap since 2006 when Russia take on the South American champions in Moscow, after his surprise inclusion in Advocaat's preliminary 26-man squad.
After two injury withdrawals, Advocaat is required to cut at least one player from the Russia set-up before Tuesday’s deadline for Euro 2012 squads, and has vowed to do so after the game. He may yet make further changes.
The starting lineup also features seven current or former players from Advocaat’s old club Zenit St. Petersburg, including Arsenal’s Andrei Arshavin and Fulham’s Pavel Pogrebnyak.
Zenit goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev, normally Russia’s second choice, starts ahead of CSKA Moscow's Igor Akinfeev.
Former Chelsea wing-back Yuri Zhirkov wins his 50th cap and is joined in defense by the CSKA duo of Alexei Berezutsky and Sergei Ignashevich, as well as Zenit’s Alexander Anyukov.
The St. Petersburg team supplies the three-man midfield, with Igor Denisov reuniting with his teammates Roman Shirokov and Konstantin Zyryanov.
Up front, Pogrebnyak will have support from Arshavin on the left and Izmailov on the right.
The two uncapped members of Advocaat’s preliminary squad, Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Magomed Ozdoev and Dynamo Moscow defender Vladimir Granat, will have to hope for a substitute appearance if they are to make their first appearances.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, Inter Milan’s Diego Forlan and Napoli’s Edinson Cavani will all start up front for Uruguay after coach Oscar Tabarez named his first team Thursday.
Tabarez has selected an experienced starting lineup with places for first-choice goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and Paris Saint-Germain defender Diego Lugano, while Liverpool’s young defender Sebastian Coates will be on the bench.
The other players named in the starting 11 are Maxi Pereira, Diego Godin, Martin Caceres, Diego Perez, Egidio Arevalo Rios and Alvaro Pereira.
Russia will play Italy and France in two further warm-up games, both in Switzerland, before traveling to Poland for their Euro 2012 group stage matches.
Russia start their campaign June 8 against the Czech Republic in Wroclaw before traveling to Warsaw to face co-host Poland on June 12 and Greece four days later.
