"If you're asking about Rausch, he has had back issues for a few days in a row, [he has] pulled a muscle and we couldn't take such a risk. It's the kind of injury that can recur at any moment," Cherchesov told journalists.

28-year-old Rausch had trained with Russia's preliminary squad but did not play when the team lost to Austria 1-0 in a warm-up friendly on Wednesday, spending the whole match on the bench.

The defender has been capped five times for Russia since his senior debut in 2017.

Russia will host its first-ever FIFA World Cup from June 14 to July 15. The matches will be played at 12 stadiums in 11 cities across the country, with the hosts facing Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uruguay in Group A.