Plyushchev: Avangard's Dozen Injuries Are No Accident
Former Russia coach Vladimir Plyushchev blames pre-season training loads for Avangard's 11 absentees against Spartak and questions their Gagarin Cup bid.
Vladimir Plyushchev, the former head coach of the Russia national team, says a dozen injuries at Avangard at the start of the season cannot be put down to chance. Against Spartak, the club played without 11 first-team players.
He put the cause down to the training loads.
Asked whether Avangard can recover and deliver on the season's objective, the Gagarin Cup, Plyushchev pointed to the squad.
If the injured players come back quickly, the squad Plyushchev describes as the strongest in the East may yet show up. If they do not, the criticism of the pre-season is likely to grow louder.
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