Former Super Eagles forward Peter Odemwingie has named three players he expects head coach Eric Chelle to include in Nigeria's starting lineup for the upcoming international friendly against Russia.
Speaking with Championat correspondent Alexander Ershov, the 43-year-old former West Brom striker identified Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, and either Kelechi Iheanacho or Victor Boniface as players likely to feature prominently in the match scheduled for June 6 at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.
"I think the players who will come to Russia are close to the main squad. If [Samuel] Chukwueze, [Moses] Simon and [Kelechi] Iheanacho or [Victor] Boniface start, we can say that they are our base," Odemwingie stated.
Chelle has already announced his 21-man squad for the friendly match, notably omitting several key players including Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and Calvin Bassey.
Odemwingie expressed support for the inclusion of new faces in the national team setup, saying: "I like it when new names appear, there will be more competition for the main players. We will know what the future holds for the Nigerian national team. We cannot always rely on the same players."
While acknowledging that Napoli striker Victor Osimhen remains Nigeria's biggest star, Odemwingie assured that the friendly match would still be entertaining despite his absence.
"Of course, Nigeria's main star now is [Victor] Osimhen, but the game will still be interesting," he added.
The friendly against Russia represents an important opportunity for Coach Chelle to evaluate his squad depth and test new combinations ahead of upcoming competitive fixtures.
