Estonia boss must do without Zenjov

EURO 2012 PLAY-OFFS:TARMO RUUTLI has omitted young Karpaty Lviv striker Sergei Zenjov from his squad for the Euro 2012 play-off games against the Republic of Ireland on Friday, November 11th and the following Tuesday after the player picked up a knee injury in a club game against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

The 22-year-old scored for his country in qualifying games against Italy and Northern Ireland and while he had already been due to serve a suspension in the first leg of the play-off, he has now been ruled out of the second game.

Ruutli has stuck with much the same squad he has used over the course of the campaign, although Vladimir Voskoboinikov, who plays his football in Russia with FC Khimki and Andrei Sidorenkov of Viborg FF in Denmark have earned recalls on the basis of their recent form.

“Players can get injured at the last moment,” he said, “and I need to have room for choice.Sidorenkov and Voskoboinikov have already proved themselves in the national team. They are doing well at their clubs and I think they deserve to be in the team.

“There’s no place for major changes or surprises in the squad before the final two matches of the campaign,” he added.

ESTONIA SQUAD

(v Rep of Ireland, Friday, November 11th and Tuesday, November 15th)

Goalkeepers: Sergei Pareiko (Wisla Kraków), Pavel Londak (FK Bodø/Glimt), Artur Kotenko (no club).

Defenders: Alo Bärengrub (JK Nõmme Kalju), Enar Jääger (Aalesunds FK), Ragnar Klavan (AZ Alkmaar), Taavi Rähn (Tianjin Songjiang FC), Raio Piiroja (Vitesse), Andrei Stepanov (FC Gomel), Tihhon Šišov (Xäzär Länkäran FK), Taijo Teniste (Sogndal IL Fotball).

Midfielders: Aleksandr Dmitrijev (FC Ural Ekaterinburg), Dmitri Kruglov (FC Rostov), Sander Puri (Lombard-Pápa TFC), Ats Purje (Ethnikos Achnas FC), Andrei Sidorenkov (Viborg FF), Konstantin Vassiljev (FC Amkar Perm), Martin Vunk (Nea Salamis FC).

Forwards: Tarmo Kink (Middlesbrough), Jarmo Ahjupera (Újpest FC), Kaimar Saag (Silkeborg IF), Vladimir Voskoboinikov (FC Khimki).