Haydarov eyes changes for last qualifier

FootballAsia.com November 8 Uzbekistan national coach Ravshan Haydarov is considering his alternatives with several of his regular players ruled out of the World Cup 2006 qualifier against Chinese Taipei later this month. The Uzbeks have already finished top of Group 2 after their victory over Iraq last month, affording Haydarov the opportunity to tinker with his squad for the clash with the group minnows in Tashkent on November 17. Some of the changes to the squad are enforced ones. Number One goalkeeper Aleksey Polyakov and midfielder Server Djeparov are out of the match after picking up their second bookings of the qualifying competition during the match against Iraq. According to Uzbekistan football federation, strikers Ildar Magdeev and Anvarjon Soliev will also miss the game due to injuries that they picked up while playing for their club side Pakhtakor. Twenty-year-old Magdeev injured his knee during Pakhtakor's AFC Champions League quarter-final clash against Al Wahda of the United Arab Emirates in September and missed the match against Iraq. He had hoped to be back for the game against Chinese Taipei but Pakhtakor club officials have revealed that the severity of the injury means he will not be able to play again this season. Attacking midfielder Soliev, 26, broke his wrist during a domestic league match against Kyzulkum last weekend and will be out of action for at least five weeks. According to uzfootball.com, his wrist is now wrapped in and Soliev cannot practice let alone play football. According to national team officials, Russian-based defender Oleg Pashinin and Pakhtakor striker Vladimir Shishelov are also doubtful with the same injuries that kept them out of the game with Iraq. Haydarov will probably only reveal his squad to play Chinese Taipei at the latest possible moment as he is in talks with a number of foreign-based players for the match. Among those being considered are goalkeeper Evgene Safonov (Shinnik Yaroslavl), defenders Andrey Fedorov (Rubin Kazan) and Vladimir Radkevich (Rotor Volgograd), midfielders Mirjalal Kasimov (Alania Vladikavkaz), Andrey Akopyants (Rostov), Vladimir Maminov (Lokomotiv Moscow), and strikers Alexander Geynrikh (CSKA Moscow), Marat Bikmayev (Krilya Sovetov) from Russia and Maksim Shatskikh (Dinamo Kiev) from Ukraine. Uzbekistan are one of five teams to have secured their places in the final round of the World Cup 2006 qualifiers next year. Japan, Korea DPR, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have also booked their spots in the final qualifiers, the draw for which will be held in Kuala Lumpur in December.