Russia has two top-class goalkeepers battling for the No. 1 shirt at Euro 2012, with Igor Akinfeev and Vyacheslav Malafeev both in the running, Malafeev’s understudy at Zenit told RIA Novosti on Monday.
CSKA Moscow captain Akinfeev returned from eight months out with a broken knee ligament when he faced Malafeev’s Zenit St. Petersburg team on Saturday.
Malafeev kept a clean sheet in that game as Zenit won 2-0, with Vladimir Bystrov’s opener bouncing off Akinfeev on its way into the net.
“Both keepers are of the very highest quality,” Zenit reserve goalkeeper Dmitry Borodin said.
“Either one or the other could be the first-choice goalkeeper for the Euros, so the coach will choose just before the tournament.”
Akinfeev had time to heal before the tournament, Borodin added.
“There’s time. Akinfeev’s already started playing, he doesn’t have any serious discomfort.”
Akinfeev earlier told Russian TV that he would not put himself up for selection if he felt that he would keep out someone who could play to a higher standard.
Moscow-born Akinfeev, 26, played every minute of Russia’s charge to the semifinals of Euro 2008, with Malafeev the second-choice goalkeeper.
Russia will face the Czech Republic, joint hosts Poland, and Greece in the group stage of the tournament, which will take place in Poland and Ukraine from June 8 to July 1.
