The challenge to the expert was thrown by the author of Sportbox.ru Alexey Zheleznov.
The last round of the first round – how fast time flies! The World Cup will begin very soon, but for now we can still enjoy our beloved RPL. By tradition, members of the Sportbox.ru editorial board compete with our expert Alexander Bubnov every football weekend in the ability to predict the outcome of matches. This time, Alexey Zheleznov, the author of the portal, is against the former defender of the USSR national team.
“Orenburg” – “Torch”
Alexander Bubnov – 3:1. “Orenburg” had a very high-quality match with CSKA. The team got used to the RPL, shows a confident and aggressive game – it’s nice to watch! “Torch” will be extremely difficult to hook points.
Alexey Zheleznov – 3:1. Fakel is unbeaten in six games in a row, but Orenburg is very good at home. At home, they have so far lost only to Wings of the Soviets. Surely Sycheva and her partners will play to win. I rely on the attacking ingenuity of Marcel Lichka’s guys.
Dynamo – Khimki
AB – 3:1. Dynamo confidently dealt with Lokomotiv and, logically, should deal with Khimki even more confidently. However, the guests will be honored with one goal – they even had real chances with Spartak.
AJ – 3:0. There is no need to hope that the Moscow Region team will take points from Dynamo. Despite all sorts of attempts to lure luck to their side, Khimki will lose again. The case may well end in defeat.
Akhmat – Rostov
AB – 1:1. Yes, Akhmat won against Torpedo and is high in the table, but problems in defense remain. Rostov will play to win after losing points with Fakel. Valery Karpin’s team has a great attacking resource, but still they will not be able to take away three points from Grozny.
AJ – 1:2. Perhaps one of the most unpredictable matches of the tour. Rostovites, after the defeat from Zenit, gave out an enchanting comeback with Krasnodar, but then looked inexpressive in two rounds in a row. Akhmat is too unstable, so I expect Karpin’s team to win in the swing game.
Lokomotiv – CSKA
AB – 1:2. In the last three rounds, CSKA lost points, did not bring the matter to a victorious end. In a match with an opponent fighting for survival, this will no longer happen.
AJ – 1:2. The second consecutive home derby for the railroad. The pre-launch disposition says that the guests must win. However, I think that the new coaching staff will shake up Lokomotiv. The fight will turn out to be more stubborn than in the game with Dynamo, but the army team will still take their toll.
Sochi – Ural
AB – 1:2. Sochi has begun to decline, and they also received a painful defeat. We can say that the team is on the verge of a crisis. Ural, on the contrary, is gaining momentum and feels more confident with every match. I bet on guests.
AJ – 1: 1. The guests have four victories in a row and an excellent emotional state, which cannot be said about Sochi. Bars need to correct the situation after the defeat in St. Petersburg. The main question is: was this heavy defeat an accident or the result of a systemic decline? It is unlikely that the hosts will be able to recoup at the Urals – I predict a draw.
Wings of the Soviets – Pari NN
AB – 1:0. According to the game, the Wings look more interesting, and they have more creative players. In a sense, this is a match for 6 points, and therefore it is necessary to win. Nizhny now has problems with the attack. If earlier standards helped out, now this weapon does not work. I expect the Wings to win in a very tough match.
AJ – 2:0. Samarans are very unstable this season, but with Pari NN they can improve their standings. Nizhny Novgorod lost five matches in a row, goals scored are given to them with great difficulty. Dry victory for the hosts.
Spartak – Torpedo
AB – 2:0. Spartak is confidently in second place and scores a lot. Of course, “Torpedo” in this situation is a clear outsider. Yes, it’s a derby, but still I can’t believe that the car factory will be able to block the “red-white” way to their gates.
AJ – 3:0. “Spartak” holds the last home match this year, so the fans will definitely demand victory. Despite the status of the derby, it is very difficult to believe that Torpedo will be able to take points from the Red-Whites. Spartak players always play recklessly at home and score a lot, so I fully admit a large score.
Krasnodar – Zenit
AB – 0:2. There is no doubt that Zenit will have a playing advantage. The score depends only on how the Petersburgers will realize their chances. Krasnodar will try to fight, but it won’t help them.
AJ – 2:3. The sign draws on the match of the tour. Both teams tend to show a bright game, so you should expect an abundance of goals scored. However, the “bulls” this season do not always look confident at home, so I will give a small advantage to the guests.
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
This summer, the 23rd FIFA World Cup finals will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. All professional football players, without exception, dream of playing in this tournament, from stars such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to players whose names are not well known to the public (perhaps only for now).
However, some star and very famous football players are at risk of missing the next World Cup. The reason for this is health problems…
Joshko Guardiol
Age: 23 years old Citizenship: Croatia Club: Manchester City
Joschko Guardiol, the key defender of Manchester City, who has been playing for the “citizens” since the summer of 2023, suffered a serious injury recently – in the match against Chelsea in early January 2026, which ended with a score of 1: 1. As a result of the medical examination, a fracture was detected in the fibula bone of Guardiola’s right leg. Manchester City doctors immediately announced to the technical staff and club management that they could no longer trust the Croatian player at the end of this season. Yoshko’s estimated recovery time is approximately four months. However, this is the most favorable prognosis as recovery may take five or six months.
Theoretically, if Guardiol returns from hospital towards the end of May, he will have the chance to be included in the Croatian national team at the 2026 World Cup. Of course, the centre-back will have to go abroad without training and far from the best conditions, but… Without Josko, the Croatian national team will definitely lose a lot, because by the age of 23 Guardiola had already made 46 appearances and scored 4 goals for the “checkers”.
Takumi Minamino
Age: 30 years old Citizenship: Japan Club: Monaco
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Takumi Minamino may not be a world football star, but he can certainly have such status in his native Japan. In the past, the winger had a two-and-a-half-year contract at Liverpool, but Takumi never managed to become a key figure for the Reds. As a result, Minamino has been playing in France since the summer of 2022 for Monaco, which paid a large sum of 15 million euros to the British for his transfer.
In Monaco, Minamino is constantly a key player, but on December 21 last year, in the 5th round match of the French Cup against Auxerre (2:1), the Japanese midfielder was injured, and then doctors determined that it was a rupture of the cruciate ligament in the knee. The normal recovery time in such cases is 6-9 months, effectively ending Takumi’s hopes of playing in the 2026 World Cup. It will be a real miracle if the midfielder, who played 73 times for Japan and helped the Blue Samurai defeat Brazil 3-2 in a friendly match in October, continues to take part in the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Muhammed Salisu
Age: 26 years old Citizenship: Ghana Club: Monaco
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Mohammed Salisu, Minamino’s teammate and one of the strongest players in the current Ghana national team, also risks not being able to play in the 2026 World Cup. The former football player from Southampton, for whom Monaco paid 15 million euros in August 2023, was injured in early January this year and it is very possible that he will not be able to go to the USA, Canada and Mexico as a player for the national team.
Doctors diagnosed Salisu with a cruciate ligament tear in his knee. In theory, this could mean that Muhammad will miss slightly less than he would with a rupture… But in the near future, Salis will need to undergo several additional examinations that will help determine the severity of his injury and what treatment would be more appropriate to choose. And there is a risk here that further examination will reveal that the African has more serious injuries than currently expected. Then he will definitely not be able to play in the 2026 World Cup, but so far doctors have not specified a specific time frame for recovery. It is clear that we are talking about months, not days or weeks…
Andreas Christensen
Age: 29 years old Citizenship: Denmark Club: barcelona
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The Danish national team has not yet qualified for the 2026 World Cup. In March, this team will first have to play against North Macedonia and, if successful, in the play-offs against the winner of the Czech Republic-Ireland double. However, the Danes are seen as the favorites by many, but they will definitely have to earn a ticket to the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico without key defender Andreas Christensen.
The 29-year-old Barcelona defender, who lost his role as an important figure in the Blaugranas in recent years largely due to frequent health problems, suffered a partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at the end of December last year and preferred a conservative treatment method. This in theory leaves Denmark with a better chance of continuing to play at the 2026 World Cup in the summer if they manage to qualify.
Eder Militao
Age: 27 years old Citizenship: Brazil Club: Real
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On December 8, 2025, it was learned that Eder Militao, the defender of Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team, was injured. It was related to a muscle tear in his left thigh, which resulted in doctors deciding it would take around four months for the Brazilian player to fully recover. In fact, we should see Militao on the football fields at the beginning of April, two months before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
It would seem, what is the risk of Eder missing the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico? The problem is that Militao has literally become “glass” in recent years. It haunts injury after injury. Muscle injuries and cruciate ligament problems in the knee have almost become a “chronic” for the Brazilian defender; Therefore, no one has confidence in Militao’s real playing conditions and abilities to go to North America in the summer. It is worth noting that Eder played four matches for the Selecao in the 2022 World Cup; two in the group stage, 1/8 against South Korea in the final (4:1) and 1/4 against Croatia in the final (1:1, 2:4 – on penalties).
Justin Kluivert
Age: 26 years old Citizenship: Holland Club: Bournemouth
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Bournemouth and Netherlands midfielder Justin Kluivert, the son of legendary former Orange forward Patrick Kluivert, may also join the sadness of those who will miss the final part of the 2026 World Cup due to health problems. Justin had surgery on his problematic knee on January 4 and now doctors will try to get him back on his feet as soon as possible so that Kluivert can continue to be useful to both Bournemouth and the Dutch national team.
Predictions so far are that Justin will return by April. This will allow the football player to realize his dream and play in the World Cup, especially since Justin took part in six matches and made one assist. But you can think as far ahead as you want and, more importantly, how Kluivert’s recovery process will actually progress after he missed a total of two calendar months last year due to various injuries and health problems…
Levi Colwill
Age: 22 years old Citizenship: England Club: Chelsea
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Young defender Levi Colwill was seen by many observers as one of the key figures in the process of rejuvenating the England national team squad. Colwill made his debut in the “three lions” camp in October 2023 and was expected to go to the 2026 World Cup as he was the best player for his hometown Chelsea last year and is currently valued at up to 50 million euros on the Transfermarkt portal, but…
In August 2025, Levi tore his “crucifixes”, so he was away from football for a long time. Latest predictions suggest Colwill’s recovery is expected in late May or early June, making it extremely unlikely that this will contribute to the Chelsea center being recalled to the England squad for the 2026 World Cup. In the end, Thomas Tuchel in the USA, Canada and Mexico will need the most prepared football players who can finally seriously compete for the championship and are not limited to elimination at an early stage or a brave fight almost to the end, but without winning the cup. We would like to remind you that Football England was waiting for its second championship because it won its first and first in the 1966 World Cup.
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
Head coach of the Senegalese national team Pap Tyaw left the press conference after the final of the Africa Cup of Nations against the Moroccan team (1:0) due to the booing of Moroccan journalists. Reuters reports it.
Tyaw took the Senegalese players off the pitch in protest after their goal was disallowed and a penalty was awarded against the Senegalese in second-half injury time with the score 0–0. After 15 minutes the Senegalese national team players returned to the pitch. Team goalkeeper Edouard Mendy he took the ball forcefully after a penalty from the Moroccan Brahim Diaz. Regular time ended with the score 0:0; the Senegalese won in extra time.
The Senegalese team won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. The Senegalese won for the first time in 2021. The Moroccan team won the tournament in 1976.
The Africa Cup of Nations is held every two years. The winner of the previous tournament was the Ivory Coast team. The next Africa Cup of Nations will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
I’m a sports enthusiast and journalist who has worked in the news industry for over 8 years. I currently work as an author at Sportish and my work focuses mainly on sports news.
Brazilian football club Internacional has agreed on the transfer of the Russian midfielder CSKA Rodrigo Villagra. This was reported by the International press service.
“In the next few days the athlete will arrive in Porto Alegre to undergo a medical examination and complete the necessary legal and administrative procedures,” reads the note. At the end of these phases and after successfully passing the medical examination, the player will be officially declared a member of the Club for the 2026 season and will join the professional team at the training ground under the guidance of Paulo Pezzolano.
Villagra is 24 years old and plays for CSKA since March 2025. This season, the Argentine has played 11 matches for the club in various tournaments, without scoring any goals. He previously played for Argentina’s River Plate, Talleres and Rosario.
I’m a sports enthusiast and journalist who has worked in the news industry for over 8 years. I currently work as an author at Sportish and my work focuses mainly on sports news.
