With Russia striker Artem Dzyuba back to fitness after an injury, Zenit St Petersburg will try to close the gap on Spartak Moscow at the top of the Russian Premier League.
Zenit, who suffered their first domestic league defeat in the previous encounter at Terek Grozny, are second in the table, three points adrift of Spartak, as they prepare to host bottom-placed Samara on Sunday.
Dzyuba, who missed his country’s international friendlies with Qatar and Romania because of muscle and knee problems, has returned to training with the Zenit squad.
Meanwhile, Italian left-back Domenico Criscito, who has captained the Saint Petersburg club at times this season, said he believed the defeat at Grozny was just a minor blip.
“We squandered a great number of chances in Grozny, that was the main reason for our defeat there,” Criscito told Zenit’s official site.
“But the season is long and there are plenty of matches left, while we’re just three points behind the leaders. We’re looking forward to the upcoming match with Samara.”
Leaders Spartak, who are seeking their first national title since 2001, will try to extend their four-match winning streak when they take on Amkar Perm, also on Sunday.
Nine-time former champions Spartak face a Perm outfit that boasts the league’s joint-best defensive record, alongside the Moscow club, and which held champions CSKA to a 2-2 draw in their previous match.
But Spartak manager Massimo Carrera said he believed in his players and their professionalism.
“Amkar have never been an easy opponent and a clash with them is always a tough test for any club,” he told Soviet Sport daily.
“We are topping the table but none of us ever think about resting upon our oars. Quite the opposite, we’re set to keep on working hard.
“My players are true professionals and I hope they’ll take another step towards our first title since 2001.”
Reigning champions CSKA, who have gone five games without a victory in all competitions, hope to arrest their slump when they visit lowly Arsenal Tula.
Though the Tula outfit have only one win to their name this season CSKA, who are still without playmakers Roman Eremenko and Alan Dzagoev, are not taking 14th-placed Arsenal lightly.
“This season we’ve experience serious personnel problems and this spell of difficulties drags on,” CSKA manager Leonid Slutsky told the press.
“Hopefully, we will be able to play quality football in Tula to stop the rot. Now it’s high time to reverse the situation.”
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