MOSCOW, November 7 (R-Sport) – Rubin Kazan regulars Salvatore Bocchetti and Alexander Ryazantsev will miss the Europa League clash against Neftci Baku, the team’s coach said Wednesday.
A win Thursday for Kurban Berdyev's team, who top Group H along with Inter Milan, against the minnows from Azerbaijan will see them take a giant stride towards qualifying for the knockout stages.
But they must cope without Italian defender Bocchetti and midfielder Ryazantsev, with the former rested and the latter yet to recover from an injury sustained in the Russian league last month.
“Ryazantsev and Bocchetti didn’t arrive in Baku with the team,” Kurban Berdyev said. “Speaking of Roman Eremenko, he is with us," he added, referring to the club's Finnish attacking midfielder who has recovered from an ankle knock.
Berdyev, meanwhile, brushed off speculation that the game might be a breeze.
“We are going to play a tough match,” Berdyev said. “Neftci play very actively in front of their fans. We are preparing for a serious game.”
