CSKA Moscow and Russia defender Sergei Ignashevich will return to full training next week after recovering from a broken toe, while his club and international teammate Vasily Berezutsky has been ruled out for the rest of the Russian season with a hip problem, RIA Novosti can report.
With three games to go, CSKA are challenging for Champions League qualification after Zenit St. Petersburg took the Russian title on Sunday.
Berezutsky, 29, had been out since the end of March with an injury to his hip muscle, but returned for CSKA’s derby clash with Spartak Moscow on 28 April, only to be substituted at half time.
"The medical examination confirmed our worst fears," CSKA director Roman Babaev told RIA Novosti. "He has a hip adductor injury and is out for at least three weeks more."
The injury is unlikely to endanger Berezutsky’s hopes of playing for Russia at Euro 2012, which starts on June 8.
Ignashevich’s toe injury is almost healed, he told RIA Novosti.
"The recovery process is going well. Next week I will be training with the main group without any
restrictions,” he said.
With three games left, CSKA are in third, level on 69 points with second-placed Dynamo Moscow and one point ahead of Spartak, with the top three teams receiving Champions League places.
CSKA will play Lokomotiv Moscow away on Wednesday, before hosting Dan Petrescu’s FC Kuban on May 7 and traveling to Rubin Kazan six days later.
