Will Driussi and Zhirkov be fit for tomorrow’s game? Do you have worries about anyone else?
Rakitskyi and Kuzyaev are suspended and as both Driussi and Zhirkov are out injured. The remainder are fit.
What are your thoughts on the Benfica team? What are you worried about in their team?
We are not worried, but we respect Benfica. They are one of the most successful teams in Europe and not only Portugal. We know how well they play at home and in their league. The match will be an interesting one and I hope we can get the result we want and have a good game.
What are you looking for, a draw or a win?
Everything will depend on how difficult the match will be. Every player wants to win, but naturally, a draw is better for us than for Benfica.
Will you be watching the other game in the group and will you let your players know the score?
I think we need to concentrate on our game and this is our main job. We'll see how our match is going so we don’t get distracted.
Zenit are in good form in the RPL and in first place, is your team in peak condition for the game tomorrow?
We will do our best. We have our own problems with injuries and bans, but that’s why we have a squad, so that those who come into the starting XI will be able to help us get the win.
We’re here for the Champions League match, but we can’t ignore the news from WADA regarding Russia. What do you think of it?
For me personally, this news is not nice, but I think all honest athletes should be able to take part in their favorite sport.
Regardless of your result, if Lyon win then Zenit will come in third or fourth. Do you believe that the other result will go your way?
Of course I believe, this match will be important for Leipzig too. There is a big difference between finishing the group in first or second place. All players want to win and there is the financial bonuses for getting the win, this is extremely important for any club.
Zenit will probably be the only Russian club left in European competition in the spring. Has the level of Russian football dropped? And what needs to be done to make the Champions League playoffs an expectation more than an achievement?
You need to have a strong competitive league and as you said yourself, just getting out of the Champions League group stage is seen as a great achievement for us. The fact is the results in the Champions League and the Europa League reflect how strong a league.
I don’t know if you saw the news, but in Portugal Luis Neto got quite a bad injury, have you spoken with him?
No, I did not know about it. Thank you for telling me, I’ll be sure to contact Luis. He was with us for a long time and is loved and supported by our fans, everyone in Russia has great respect for him.
