UEFA Confirms FC Kairat’s Squad, Home Venue for Champions League Matches

UEFA has officially unveiled the squad list for Almaty’s FC Kairat ahead of the Champions League league phase.

The team will compete with a full roster of 25 players, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kazakh media.

Additionally, it has been confirmed that FC Kairat will host all of its home fixtures at the Central Stadium in Almaty.

Goalkeepers

The main goalkeepers are 32-year-old Alexandr Zarutskiy and 21-year-old Temirlan Anarbekov. The reserve keepers are 18-year-old Sherhan Kalmurza and Dias Reimov, as well as 19-year-old Ildar Mendygaliyev.

Defenders

The main defensive players are 21-year-old Alexandr Mrynskiy, 22-year-old Alexsandr Shirobokov, 18-year-old Daniyar Tashpulatov, 23-year-old Damir Kassabulat, and 23-year-old Lev Kurgin. The reserves are 17-year-old Akezhan Kalikulov and 18-year-old Amirbek Bazarbayev. The defense also includes several legionnaires: 28-year-old Luís Mata (Portugal), 38-year-old Aleksandr Martynovich (Belarus), 26-year-old Ofri Arad (Israel), 28-year-old Luka Gadrani (Georgia), and 29-year-old Egor Sorokin (Russia).

Midfielders

The midfielders on the main roster are 23-year-old Adilet Sadybekov, 20-year-old Olzhas Baibek, and 32-year-old Yerkin Tapalov. Reserves include 17-year-old Abylay Toleukhan, 16-year-old Daulet Orynbassar, and 18-year-old Azamat Tuyakbayev. The team's foreign midfielders are 28-year-old Giorgi Zaria (Georgia), 28-year-old Dan Glazer (Israel), 26-year-old Jug Stanojev (Serbia), and 28-year-old Valeri Gromyko (Belarus).

Forwards

Kairat's forwards for the Champions League are 17-year-old Dastan Satpayev, 18-year-old Ramazan Bagdat, and 17-year-old Ismail Bekbolat, as well as international players: 27-year-old Jorginho (Portugal), 28-year-old Edmilson (Brazil), and 24-year-old Ricardinho (Brazil).

Of the 25 players on the main squad announced, only Lev Kurgin, Luka Gadrani, Daniyar Tashpulatov, and Ismail Bekbolat have not yet played in a Champions League qualification match. Moreover, not all of the reserve players have seen playing time in the Champions League.

It is no secret that several key players suffered injuries in August. However, Kairat's head coach, Rafael Urazbakhtin expressed hope for a quick recovery.

"We had muscle injuries mostly. Maybe it's due to the tight schedule - we had to play twice a week for a long time. However, we have a deep bench with guys who can come off and take their chance. We're hoping all the guys can recover as soon as possible," Urazbakhtin said.