CSKA Moscow have suffered a huge injury blow after it was revealed that goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev could be out for up to six months with a knee injury.
Akinfeev is rated as one of Europe's best young keepers, but suffered the knock in his club's 2-2 league draw against Spartak Moscow at the weekend after landing awkwardly following a collision with Spartak's Brazilian forward Welliton.
It is not yet known how long the stopper will definitely be sidelined for but CSKA fear a relapse of the knee ligament rupture that Akinfeev sustained in 2007.
CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky told the UEFA website: "Judging by the mechanics of the injury and the symptoms, Akinfeev has ruptured cruciate ligaments."
Akinfeev will almost certainly miss CSKA's Champions League group stage matches against Inter, Lille and Trabzonspor and also the remaining Euro 2012 qualifiers for international side Russia.
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