Full roster for Russia friendly

The final squad list for tomorrow’s friendly with Russia has been released, and here it is. There aren’t many surprises, to me at least, on Victor Piturca’s 20-man roster. Marius Popa has earned his way into the backup keeper spot, for now at least, over Rapid Bucharest’s injured Dănuţ Coman, but Bogdan Lobonţ remains Romania’s #1. Dorin Goian is the only Romania-based defender on the squad, and young Laszlo Sepsi from Benfica looks likely to earn his first senior cap after 12 appearances for the U-21 side. Romania will be without their most consistent Euro qualifying midfielder in Paul Codrea, who is injured, and will look to qualifying hero Nicolae Dică for an attacking presence in midfield. On the front line, Adrian Mutu is officially back on the roster, and the deadly combination of Mutu and Ciprian Marica, with 11 Euro qualifying goals between them, is once again available to coach Piturca.

Russia will be a tough visitor, but the squad is looking very strong, and I’ll be on tomorrow night with a full recap of the action. Good luck to the Tricolorii. Time to put the Israel friendly in the past and get things on a winning track for Euro 2008. Here’s the full squad:

Goalkeepers
Bogdan Lobonţ (Dinamo Bucureşti), Marius Popa (Poli Timişoara)

Defenders
Cosmin Contra (Getafe), George Ogăraru (Ajax), Cristian Chivu (Inter Milan), Gabriel Tamaş (Auxerre), Dorin Goian (Steaua Bucureşti), Răzvan Raţ (Shakhtar Donetsk), Laszlo Sepsi (Benfica)

Midfielders
Florentin Petre (CSKA Sofia), Bănel Nicoliţă (Steaua Bucureşti), Răzvan Cociş (Lokomotiv Moscow), Ovidiu Petre (Steaua Bucureşti), Mirel Rădoi (Steaua Bucureşti), Nicolae Dică (Steaua Bucureşti), Marian Aliuţă (Poli Timişoara)

Forwards
Adrian Mutu (Fiorentina), Ciprian Marica (VfB Stuttgart), Daniel Niculae (Auxerre), Marius Niculae (Inverness Caledonian Thistle)