Uruguay 'Completely Different' Than Egypt - Russia Head Coach

Russia has been handed a blow with midfielder Alan Dzagoev being ruled out of the rest of tournament, while it is unknown whether Yuri Zhirkov will play any further part in the competition, Russia head coach Stanislav Cherchesov said Tuesday night following his side’s 3-1 win against Egypt.

“We’ve already lost Dzagoev, while there is also a question mark over Zhirkov. Thank god Aleksandr Golovin was not booked today as that would have been a huge loss. We need our injured players to get better and prepare for the next game,”  Cherchesov said at the post-match press conference.

Первая травма ЧМ😔 Дзагоев уходит с поля #WorldCup #ЧМ2018 pic.twitter.com/mhtuuYrLtD

— Tribuna.com Беларусь (@goalsby) 14 июня 2018 г.

Dzagoev sustained a hamstring injury during Russia's 5-0 win against Saudi Arabia in the opening game of the World Cup on Thursday. Meanwhile Zhirkov was replaced in the second half in the match with Egypt after suffering an ankle problem.

Russia’s victory against Egypt means that after two matches, the World Cup hosts are now on six points and have an excellent chance of reaching the knockout stage, where they could face Portugal, Spain, Iran or Morocco.

However, Cherchesov warned that Russia's next opponent Uruguay would be a "completely different proposition" than Egypt.

🇷🇺🇪🇬 @TeamRussia одерживает вторую подряд победу на домашнем #ЧМ2018 и впервые в своей новейшей истории выходит из группы на первенстве мира! Со счетом 3:1 повержена сборная Египта.

Это было мощно 💪

⚽ Фатхи а/г 47'
⚽ Черышев 59'
⚽ Дзюба 62'
⚽ Салах пен 73' pic.twitter.com/s9hhPCEQTw

— UEFA.com на русском (@UEFAcom_ru) 19 июня 2018 г.

"Uruguay are a completely different proposition, their level is completely different. They play in a different style. We need to sort out our squad and our tactics in order to get a result," Cherchesov told journalists.

He added that veteran defender Sergei Ignashevich has been an important addition to the team following his late call-up to the squad.

"You see how useful Ignashevich is for the team.. Everything should be done at the right time," Cherchesov said.

Russia will play against Uruguay in their final group-stage match at the Samara Arena on Monday. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the matches being played in 11 cities across Russia.