MINSK, 15 August (BelTA) – Head coach of the Belarusian national football team Igor Kriushenko has named an expanded squad for the next two fixtures against Luxembourg and Sweden, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Football Federation.
The preliminary roster includes 39 players:
Goalkeepers: Andrei Gorbunov (free agent), Sergei Chernik (AS Nancy), Alexander Gutor (FC Tosno), Andrei Klimovich (FC Dinamo Minsk), Dmitry Gushcenko (FC Vitebsk), Vladislav Vasilyuchek (FC Gorodeya);
Defenders: Alexander Martynovich (FC Krasnodar), Egor Filipenko (FC Maccabi Tel Aviv), Denis Polyakov, Maksim Volodko (both FC BATE Borisov), Sergei Politevich (Genclerbirligi S.K. Turkey), Mikhail Sivakov (FC Amkar Perm), Sergei Matveichik, Igor Burko (both FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk), Dmitry Aliseiko, Aleksei Gavrilovich (both FC Dinamo Brest), Alexander Sachivko (FC Dinamo Minsk), Nikita Naumov (FC Vitebsk);
Midfielders: Stanislav Dragun, Aleksei Rios, Yuri Kendysh (all FC BATE Borisov), Sergei Balanovich (FC Amkar Perm), Renan Bressan (GD Chaves), Pavel Nekhaichik, Aleksei Legchilin (both FC Dinamo Brest), Ivan Mayevsky (FC Astana), Nikita Korzun (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Artyom Bykov (FC Dinamo Minsk), Oleg Yevdokimov (FC Minsk), Mikhail Babichev (FC Vitebsk), Alexander Karnitsky (FC Tosno).
Forwards: Nikolai Signevich, Mikhail Gordeichuk (both FC BATE Borisov), Pavel Savitsky (FC Neman Grodno), Denis Laptev (FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk), Maksim Skavysh, Alexander Makas (both FC Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino), Anton Saroka, Vladimir Khvashchinsky (both FC Dinamo Minsk).
The final roster of 23 players who will defend the colors of the Belarusian flag at the forthcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification will be announced later. Belarus will play the first fixture in Luxembourg on 31 August and then will host Sweden at Borisov Arena on 3 September. The Group A standings are as follows: Sweden – 13 points (goal difference 12-4), France – 13 (11-5), Netherlands – 10 (13-6), Bulgaria – 9 (9-12), Belarus – 5 (4-11), Luxembourg – 1 (6-17).
