It's pity we don't have full roster
PRE-GAME BREAKDOWN
Losses in the Army Team come one after another. Upon the return from Krasnoyarsk, Ivan Ukhov fell ill with a stomach infection, he will not take part in the upcoming game.
Nikola Milutinov underwent successful surgery on his injured shoulder in Athens and began to recover.
Andrey Lopatin is still out due to a hand injury. Mike James is still in the United States for family reasons. Toko Shengelia continues his rehab after knee injury.
Will Clyburn has started training with the team, he is questionable for the game against Zenit.
CSKA-2 players Alexander Evseev, Makar Konovalov and Daniil Kochergin participated in the preparation for the game, all three will be on the roster.
PRE-GAME QUOTES
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach:
Zenit is a very competitive team in both competitions, they play a high-level basketball. It's pity that in a game like this we cannot use the full roster but I hope and I wish that we will play a lot of games in future. They have a winning-spirit team with a lot of good players and great coach, so it's going to be a tough game tomorrow.
CLOSE “RELATIONS”
Mike James played under Zenit coach Xavi Pascual during the entire 2016-17 season and the last half of the next one when both were with Panathinaikos OPAP Athens.
James was a teammate of Zenit's K.C. Rivers at Panathinaikos Athens for two seasons, from 2016 to 2018.
Zenit big man Arturas Gudaitis and James were teammates at AX Armani Exchange Milan during the 2018-19 season.
Zenit’s Andrey Zubkov was a teammate of Nikita Kurbanov in Lokomotiv-Kuban during 2014-15 season.
Vitaly Fridzon spent five seasons with CSKA from 2013 through 2018. He helped the club win the 2016 EuroLeague and five VTB United League titles. He played under Coach Itoudis and alongside Semen Antonov, Will Clyburn and Nikita Kurbanov.
PAST MATCHUPS
Wins-losses: 14-4 (18-0 against Triumph Lyubertsy)
Game of the 2020-21 season:
12-Dec-2020. EuroLeague. Regular season. CSKA – Zenit: 83-65 (+18)
SHORT DOSSIER
Zenit St.Petersburg, Russia
Founded: 2014
Colors: dark-blue, white, light-blue
Homecourt: SIBUR Arena (7,120)
CEO: Alexander Tserkovny
Head coach: Xavi Pascual
Website: basket.fc-zenit.ru
