Russia lost to a late Divock Origi’s strike on Sunday after a post to post hustle, and as the Red Devils claimed the ‘qualify-spot’ Capello’s men gnashed their teeth in despair.

“No, I can’t go looking towards the future today,” said Fayzulin. “It’s true we’ve got a young and talented team, but we must only focus on the Algeria game. What can I tell the youngest lads on a day like today? Nothing, each one of us knows what he has to do in the here and now,” added the tireless central midfielder, widely considered as the man that makes Capello’s XI tick.

As the interview drew to a close, Fayzulin revealed how “Capello told us we’d played very well and that that’s football: we gave them a chance and they took it.” What’s more, though they perhaps cannot see it now, this reverse may end up proving a useful lesson for the Sbornaya with one eye on Russia 2018.

© Sport Cracker Media