Karpin explained the absence of Dziuba in the national team with the request of the player himself

The head coach of the Russian national team Valery Karpin revealed the reasons for the absence of the Zenit striker Artem Dziuba among the players at the training camp. He was quoted by the website of the Russian Football Union (RFU).

Karpin said that he talked with the 33-year-old striker about a possible call to the national team. In a telephone conversation, the striker admitted that he wants to play for the national team. “But now, due to the difficult situation in Ukraine, where he has many relatives, he apologized and asked for family reasons not to call him to this meeting,” Karpin explained.

The specialist added that another Zenit player, Vyacheslav Karavaev, also addressed him with a request not to be called to the upcoming training camp. The 26-year-old defender motivated this by the desire to gain the necessary condition.

Due to the postponement of the matches of the 22nd round of the Russian Premier League (RPL) on March 19 and 20, the coaching staff of the Russian national team decided to organize a training camp in Moscow. It is scheduled for the period from 21 to 27 March.