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World Cup: Russia boss Fabio Capello ready for tough Northern Ireland clash

Image: Fabio Capello: Expecting a difficult game against Northern Ireland on Friday

Fabio Capello believes Russia's game away to Northern Ireland on Friday is shaping up to be their most important World Cup qualifier.

Capello added that Russia would probably play their home qualifiers with Luxembourg and Israel in September in St Petersburg's Petrovsky stadium, the home of reigning Russian champions Zenit. "Luzhniki Stadium, the 2018 World Cup main venue, will be closed for renovation, while the pitch at Moscow's Lokomotiv arena was in poor condition when we played our last qualifier there," Capello said. "I think it's a good idea to play at St Petersburg in September. The arena there is very comfortable with an excellent pitch. It seems to be a good choice for us."

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