Kerzhakov not included in Russian squad for Euro 2008

MOSCOW, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Guus Hiddink named a 25-man provisional squad for Euro 2008 on Wednesday without calling up striker Alexander Kerzhakov.

The Dutchman also surprised a few by calling up 32-year-old midfielder Sergei Semak for the first time since he took over the Russia post in July 2006, as well as recruiting three new faces.

Kerzhakov has struggled to regain his form since joining Dynamo Moscow from Sevilla in February, while Semak has been in sparkling form this season, helping unfancied Rubin Kazan to the top of the Russian premier league.

The newcomers are Lokomotiv Moscow defender Renat Yanbayev and midfielders Oleg Ivanov of Krylya Sovietov Samara and Alexander Pavlenko of Spartak Moscow.

Russia are in Group D with Greece, Spain and Sweden at the championship being co-hosted by Austria and Switzerland due on June 7-29.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeyev (CSKA Moscow), Vyacheslav Malafeyev(Zenit St Petersburg), Vladimir Gabulov (Amkar Perm)

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), Igor Semshov (Dynamo Moscow), Dmitry Torbinsky (Lokomotiv Moscow), Vladimir Bystrov (Spartak Moscow), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (Zenit St Petersburg), Sergei Semak (Rubin Kazan), Alexander Pavlenko (Spartak Moscow), Oleg Ivanov (Krylya Sovietov Samara)

Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Zenit St Petersburg), Pavel Pogrebnyak (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Spartak Moscow), Dmitry Sychev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Roman Adamov (FK Moscow), Ivan Saenko (Nuremberg)