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Russia coach Guus Hiddink called up newcomer Alexander Bukharov in his 23-man squad for next month's 2010 World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Wales.

Hiddink named the 24-year-old centre-forward, who has scored 10 goals in 18 league games for Russian champions Rubin Kazan this season, along with uncapped midfielder Alexei Rebko.

Hiddink also included injured Yuri Zhirkov, hoping the Chelsea winger will recover in time for the September 5 game at home to Liechtenstein and the away encounter to Wales four days later. Zhirkov has a knee injury but is expected to be fit within a week.

The Russians are second in European Group Four, trailing leaders Germany by four points but with a game in hand.

Squad:

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

Defenders: Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Alexei Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Vasily Berezutsky (CSKA Moscow), Yuri Zhirkov (Chelsea), Denis Kolodin (Dynamo Moscow), Renat Yanbayev (Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexander Anyukov (Zenit St Petersburg)

Midfielders: Igor Semshov (Zenit St Petersburg), Konstantin Zyryanov (Zenit St Petersburg), Igor Denisov (Zenit St Petersburg), Sergei Semak (Rubin Kazan), Vladimir Bystrov (Spartak Moscow), Alan Dzagoyev (CSKA Moscow), Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Alexei Rebko (FK Moscow)

Forwards: Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham Hotspur), Pavel Pogrebnyak (VfB Stuttgart), Alexander Kerzhakov (Dynamo Moscow), Alexander Bukharov (Rubin Kazan).

Reuters