Another first-class goalkeeper is growing up in Russia. Even Akinfeev at one time did not do this with his feet.
Lokomotiv Moscow, as well as many Russian clubs, will start the new season of the Premier League with a very experimental squad. Leaders and coaches shook up the roster of railroad workers in the summer off-season.
There was no place in the first team and the famous Brazilian goalkeeper with a Russian passport Guilherme. This fact could cause concern among the fans of the Moscow team, because yesterday’s 18-year-old junior came out to defend the goal in the match with PARI NN.
But from the very first minutes, the young player proved to everyone that another high-level goalkeeper is growing up in our football.
Saved the team with a great blow
Daniil Khudyakov, despite his young age, is by no means a debutant at the gates of Lokomotiv. For the adult team of railway workers, the goalkeeper managed to play more than ten matches by the age of 18. Including on his account there are games against Lazio and Marseille in the Europa League last season. But when Guilherme was in shape, Khudyakov usually occupied a chair on the bench.
But Khudyakov started the new season in the first team. The coaching staff entrusted the young goalkeeper to defend the gates of the Moscow team in the first round match against PARI NN Nizhny Novgorod, which took place at the home arena of the railwaymen.
In the opening minutes of the game, guests from Nizhny Novgorod could not create many dangerous moments at the gates of Khudyakov. By the 70th minute, PARI NN’s statistics showed a dull zero in the “Shots on target” column. But the situation could have turned out differently, if at the beginning of the game Daniil had not made a chic rescue.
In the 17th minute of the game, Nizhny Novgorod’s Angolan winger Felicio Milson made a breakthrough on the left flank, ahead of all Lokomotiv’s defenders. He could calmly create a dangerous attack near the Lokomotiv goal, but Khudyakov was against this.
The goalkeeper of the railroad workers correctly read the situation and got out of the gate in time, ahead of the Angolan by a few centimeters in their duel near the sideline. From contact with the goalkeeper, the ball jumped up, and Milson was ready to fight for him in the jump.
It would be logical in this situation to play with the head, but Daniil made a non-standard decision. After taking a few steps, the goalkeeper jumped high and hit the flying ball with side scissors. Only for this most difficult kick in execution one could praise the young goalkeeper, but the way he did it is even more delightful.
Khudyakov’s leg at the moment of impact was right next to the head of the Angolan striker, flying away from her in a matter of centimeters. Already falling, the goalkeeper slightly touched the opponent’s back with a boot, but there was no intent and cruelty in this. Yes, and Milson did not pretend and beg for a foul.
As a result, this spectacular rescue allowed Khudyakov to keep his goal intact until the 70th minute. During this time, his teammates managed to score one goal. Unfortunately, the bright action of the goalkeeper did not bring victory to Lokomotiv in this meeting. The game ended in a draw.
I am a sports writer and journalist who has written for various online publications including Sportish. I’m originally from the UK but currently live in Toronto, Canada. I’m also an author on Sportish and have written several articles on a variety of sports-related topics.
Akron head coach Zaur Tedeev reported that his club is looking for reinforcements in the attack line.
Togliatti team after 18 rounds RPL they occupy ninth place in the rankings.
Tedeev said:
The sporting part acts as much as possible, doing everything that depends on them. Our desires do not always coincide with our abilities. But we hope to gain something and find a player who strengthens our attacking game. The team has a face. We just have to move forward, think only about victories.
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.
Forward of the Senegalese national team Sadio Mane recognized as the best player of the Africa Cup of Nations which concluded on Sunday.
The Senegalese team defeated Morocco 1:0 in the final. At the end of regular time, the Senegalese, dissatisfied with the penalty awarded to them, left the field, but soon it was Mane who brought the team back and the match continued. Morocco missed the penalty and the match went to extra time, where Teranga’s Lions won.
In total, Mane played 7 matches at the tournament, scored 2 goals and made 3 assists.
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.
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.