Russia national team captain Aleksandr Golovin suffered an ankle injury during his country's 2-0 friendly victory over Iran at the Ak Bars Arena in Kazan on Tuesday.
The Monaco midfielder scored both goals in the first half to put Russia ahead before sustaining the injury late in the second half of the match.
Golovin was forced off in the 84th minute of the game, with winger Lechi Sadulaev coming on to replace him for the final minutes of the victory.
Speaking to Russian sports website Sport-Express following the match, Golovin explained that his ankle was twisted roughly five minutes before he was taken off. He said the problem occurred when he was brought down while running forward on a counter-attack, adding that the joint remained painful and that he was unable to give an immediate assessment of the severity of the damage.
Brace in Kazan before late ankle injury
The midfielder had led Russia into the match as captain and provided both goals during an effective first-half performance. His two strikes established a 2-0 lead that held through the remainder of the contest against Iran in Kazan.
However, his contribution was cut short by the late ankle incident during a break in play, casting doubt over his availability for Russia's upcoming international schedule.
Head coach Valery Karpin is preparing the national team for two further friendly matches in October. Russia are scheduled to host Namibia on October 3 in Yekaterinburg, before playing Nigeria on October 6 in Nizhny Novgorod. Golovin's participation in both upcoming international games is now in doubt as medical staff assess his ankle.
International record and ongoing FIFA suspension
Golovin is one of the most experienced players in the current Russian squad, having made 53 international appearances and scored 11 goals for his country. At club level, he plays in Ligue 1 for French club Monaco, where he has been based since 2018 after moving from CSKA Moscow following the 2018 World Cup.
The victory in Kazan is part of an ongoing series of friendly matches for Russia, who have been barred from official international competition since 2022. Football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA suspended all Russian national teams and clubs from their tournaments following the outbreak of the military conflict in Ukraine.
Because of the ban, Karpin's side cannot participate in qualifying matches for major tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup or the UEFA European Championship. Instead, the team has relied on arranging individual friendly fixtures against non-European opponents, utilizing domestic stadiums across the country such as the 45,000-seat Ak Bars Arena in Kazan, Yekaterinburg, and Nizhny Novgorod.
