Russia manager Valery Karpin has dismissed suggestions that the absence of star players Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will significantly weaken the Nigerian national team ahead of their international friendly match on Friday.

The Super Eagles will face Russia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow without several key players, as Nigeria's coach Eric Chelle has omitted Osimhen, Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and Calvin Bassey from the squad for this fixture.

"Of course, I would like to have both Osimhen and Lookman to test our team against the best players," Karpin told Komsomolskaya Pravda. "But their absence certainly does not make Nigeria fundamentally weaker."

The Super Eagles enter this friendly match with momentum, having recently claimed the Unity Cup after defeating Jamaica 5-4 in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw in regular time.

Nigeria's coach Chelle has expressed his determination to continue the team's winning streak against Russia, as the Super Eagles look to build on their recent success despite missing some of their European-based stars.

The international friendly is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. Nigerian time on Friday, with the Nigerian squad having traveled to Russia via Morocco for the encounter.

This match represents an important test for both nations as they continue their preparations for upcoming competitive fixtures, with Russia looking to measure themselves against African opposition and Nigeria aiming to demonstrate their squad depth beyond their headline stars.