Kairat squad for matches vs Real Madrid and other teams announced
UEFA has released the official roster of Almaty’s Kairat football club for the group stage of the Champions League, Kazinform News Agency reports.
It has been officially confirmed that FC Kairat will play all of its home matches at the team's home ground — the Central Stadium in Almaty.
The squad list features 25 players.
Goalkeepers
The main goalkeepers are 32-year-old Alexandr Zarutskiy and 21-year-old Temirlan Anarbekov. The reserve keepers are 18-year-old Sherhan Kalmurza and Dias Reimov, as well as 19-year-old Ildar Mendygaliyev.
Defenders
The main defensive players are 21-year-old Alexandr Mrynskiy, 22-year-old Alexsandr Shirobokov, 18-year-old Daniyar Tashpulatov, 23-year-old Damir Kassabulat, and 23-year-old Lev Kurgin. The reserves are 17-year-old Akezhan Kalikulov and 18-year-old Amirbek Bazarbayev. The defense also includes several legionnaires: 28-year-old Luís Mata (Portugal), 38-year-old Aleksandr Martynovich (Belarus), 26-year-old Ofri Arad (Israel), 28-year-old Luka Gadrani (Georgia), and 29-year-old Egor Sorokin (Russia).
Midfielders
The midfielders on the main roster are 23-year-old Adilet Sadybekov, 20-year-old Olzhas Baibek, and 32-year-old Yerkin Tapalov. Reserves include 17-year-old Abylay Toleukhan, 16-year-old Daulet Orynbassar, and 18-year-old Azamat Tuyakbayev. The team's foreign midfielders are 28-year-old Giorgi Zaria (Georgia), 28-year-old Dan Glazer (Israel), 26-year-old Jug Stanojev (Serbia), and 28-year-old Valeri Gromyko (Belarus).
Forwards
Kairat's forwards for the Champions League are 17-year-old Dastan Satpayev, 18-year-old Ramazan Bagdat, and 17-year-old Ismail Bekbolat, as well as international players: 27-year-old Jorginho (Portugal), 28-year-old Edmilson (Brazil), and 24-year-old Ricardinho (Brazil).
Of the 25 players on the main squad announced, only Lev Kurgin, Luka Gadrani, Daniyar Tashpulatov, and Ismail Bekbolat have not yet played in a Champions League qualification match. Moreover, not all of the reserve players have seen playing time in the Champions League.
It is no secret that several key players suffered injuries in August. However, Kairat's head coach, Rafael Urazbakhtin expressed hope for a quick recovery.
"We had muscle injuries mostly. Maybe it's due to the tight schedule - we had to play twice a week for a long time. However, we have a deep bench with guys who can come off and take their chance. We're hoping all the guys can recover as soon as possible," Urazbakhtin said.
As stated earlier, the Almaty Central Stadium is getting ready to host the Kairat vs Real Madrid Champions League match.