“Mistakes were made, but we analyze them differently in comparison to those watching from the stands. There are things that we need to improve. What was said in the dressing room is private, but we have already analyzed that match. Playing with two central defenders is nothing new for us as we use this system with our clubs, but we haven’t used it for a while with Russia. The result against Austria was not a positive one, and we will see what will happen next,” Kutepov told journalists.

The 24-year-old also said that those who were criticizing Granat for his performance against Austria “knew nothing about football.”

"Everyone makes mistakes. Only those who are not on the pitch do not make mistakes. I think Vladimir [Granat] played well. There was not an easy opponent," Kutepov added.

Russia are continuing their preparations for the World Cup at their training camp in Novogorsk, just outside Moscow. Stanislav Cherchesov's team suffered a 1-0 defeat in a friendly against Austria in Innsbruck on May 30.

The Russian national team will face Turkey at the VEB Arena in Moscow in their final World Cup friendly on June 5.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup gets underway on June 14, with the final taking place on July 15.