Hiddink recalls Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko
MOSCOW - Russia coach Guus Hiddink has recalled Arsenal forward Andrei Arshavin and Tottenham Hotspur striker Roman Pavlyuchenko for upcoming 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko were absent from Russia's training camp in Turkey last month because Hiddink wanted them to have more time to get acquainted with Premier League football.
The Dutchman, who last month became Chelsea's interim manager in addition to his Russia job, included both on Monday in a 22-man squad for the Group Four matches against Azerbaijan in Moscow on March 28 and the away game to Liechtenstein four days later.
The two players appear to have settled at their respective London clubs, with Arshavin scoring his first goals for Arsenal in Saturday's 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers.
Hiddink also recalled Dynamo Moscow defender Denis Kolodin and Lokomotiv Moscow midfielder Dmitry Torbinsky, who both missed Russia's camp in the Mediterranean resort of Belek last month because of injuries.
Russia are in second place in their group with six points from three matches, level with Wales and four behind leaders Germany but with a game in hand on both.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeyev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Dynamo Moscow), Vyacheslav Malafeyev (Zenit St Petersburg)
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Defenders: Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Alexei Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Vasily Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Alexander Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg), Denis Kolodin (Dynamo Moscow), Renat Yanbayev (Lokomotiv Moscow)
Midfielders: Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Yuri Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow), Alan Dzagoyev (CSKA Moscow), Dmitry Torbinsky (Lokomotiv Moscow), Igor Semshov (Zenit St Petersburg), Igor Denisov (Zenit St Petersburg), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Sergei Semak (Rubin Kazan), Ivan Saenko (Spartak Moscow)
Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham Hotspur), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Zenit St Petersburg), Dmitry Sychev (Lokomotiv Moscow).