Matvey Safonov (25 years old) is likely to find the time long. While he could have taken advantage of this international break to return to the field with Russia, the goalkeeper was unable to return to competition. He was first ill just before the start of this international window, which made him miss the match in Lille with PSG. He also joined his selection in Hanoi late and watched his teammates against Vietnam from the bench (Russian victory 3-0).
The goalkeeper was due to play the second match against the same Vietnamese (Russia has been banned by UEFA and has had to settle for friendlies since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022) but this time, the weather played tricks. The match scheduled for this Saturday, also in Hanoi, was cancelled due to heavy rain. Without having played a single minute, Safonov will return to Paris earlier than expected and will return to his role as Gigio Donnarumma’s understudy without knowing when he will be able to play again.
