It is not yet clear if Pavel Pogrebnyak will be fit enough to feature at this summer's European Championships for Russia after contrasting reports appeared regarding his injury.
The Zenit St Petersburg striker damaged his left knee whilst playing in a friendly match against Serbia last week and it was originally feared that he may be ruled out of the tournament.
He went for a scan on Tuesday to discover how serious the injury actually was, and while the powerful forward remains optimistic about his chances of playing for Guus Hiddink's side.
"My knee is aching a bit, but I feel better now," Pogrebnyak told UEFA's official website.
"I am recovering and working hard and I want to play at the European Championships very much."
However, there are other reports circulating that suggest the 24-year-old will not play in any part at the tournament and will be forced to withdraw from the Russia squad.
"It is quite clear that Pogrebnyak will not play," said Vitali Mutko, who is president of the Russian Football Association.
Pogrebnyak's absence would be a huge blow for Russia as he has scored four goals from nine games so far for his country and also smashed in ten goals during this year's UEFA Cup, which he eventually won with Zenit.
