Euro 2016: England v Russia preview. Russia ready to show their togetherness can overcome talented England side

The story of Leonid Slutsky’s playing career is a brief, but eventful one. Like so many before him, it was cut short due to injury, only not in the way you might think. Slutsky suffered a nasty knee injury at the age of 19 after trying to rescue a cat from a tree.

“He always smiles when we talk about it,” striker Artem Dzyuba told FourFourTwo. “We laugh about how the branches weren’t able to support his weight.”

Within that one admission from Dzyuba is a microcosm for the mood in the Russian camp. The players never enjoyed such humour and warmth with previous coach Fabio Capello, “Working with Capello wasn’t easy,” Dzyuba added. “At training camps we were always in our rooms. It wasn’t really a great atmosphere.”

Capello’s tenure in charge of the national team can best be described as disastrous. The Italian was paid £5.5m-a-year during his time as Russia head coach, a job that ended in July last year with a £10.5m pay off that almost bankrupted the Russian FA. On the field, Russia won just two of their six opening qualifiers under his guidance. The breaking point with Capello arrived after a second defeat to Austria in June. By no means an embarrassment it did leave the country facing the very real possibility of missing out on the tournament altogether.

Consequently, out went Capello and in came Slutsky. The 45-year-old could not be more of a contrast to his predecessor. Where Capello earned millions, Slutsky technically receives nothing. He will not earn a salary during this summer’s tournament, instead receiving expenses and bonuses depending on performance. Far from a choice for the Russian FA, it is a direct consequence of Capello’s failure, with harsh cutbacks following in the wake of his departure.

Slutsky’s tenure will end after the European Championships. Then he will turn his focus solely to his job in club management with CSKA Moscow, where he recently won a third Russian Premier League title.

Yet in the meantime, he must fashion a winning side with some notable shortcomings and a long injury list. The most notable name on that list is midfielder Alan Dzagoev. A talented playmaker that has at times operated in a deeper role for Slutsky, his omission due to a foot injury will arguably be felt most, while Yuri Zhirkov and Igor Denisov are also unfortunately absent for Russia.

“It is a shame about Igor, he is one of the key players,” said Pavel Mamaev this week. “He was the captain of the last game and we wanted to support him. For him it was a really important tournament.”

In the case of Denisov, his replacement, Artur Yusupov, was called into the squad by chance, as he happened to be staying in the same Monaco hotel as the Russia team while on holiday. Understandably unprepared, he did not have his boots nor any kind of sportswear in his suitcase.

However, anyone thinking Russia is unprepared and toothless would be wrong. The aforementioned Artem Dzyuba is a giant 6ft 5 forward that can cause England’s defence problems. Blessed with sharp instincts and an equally sharp tongue, he once called his Zenit St Petersburg teammate Hulk, ‘our favourite fatty’. Yet even with his humorous quips, he should not be underestimated, with Dzyuba netting 6 goals in 8 Champions League games as well as 8 of Russia’s 18 goals in qualifying.

“We have a really strong attack,” Mamaev said. “All the players are at their best at the moment and, therefore, ready to fight against the whole England team, and especially the defence. The first game will be very intense.”

Behind Dzyuba, Alexander Kokorin will add pace and explosiveness to the attacking set-up. A forward by trade, Slutsky has been known to play him out wide in a 4-2-3-1 formation. A direct copy of the set-up he uses with CSKA, Slutsky has attempted to transfer a number of the traits associated with his club side over to the national team.

While certain transitions are not like for like - most notably his use of Dzyuba over a speedy forward - it is enough to give the Russian people optimism for the tournament. That hope is cemented by a confidence and togetherness among the players. Amid the loss of Denisov the squad came out for Wednesday’s open training session with a t-shirt denoting the message ‘Igor, we are with you’.

However, all of their good intentions will not mask Russia’s deficiencies. Their likely centre-back pairing of Vasili Berezutski and Sergei Ignashevich hold a combined age of 69, and are starting to show their age. With Slutsky also eager for his full-backs to contribute in an attacking sense, there will likely be plenty of opportunity for Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy to exploit the space in behind and down the side of the Russian defence.

Yet if Russia has one surprise to spring on England, it could be Aleksander Golovin. The youngest member of the squad, he has been tentatively discussed as the man to fill in behind Dzyuba. A position usually reserved for Roman Shirokov, some, including Golovin’s former coach at U21 level feel he is already more dynamic than Shirokov.

Slutsky is also a fan. A dangerous attacker, that scored on his international debut, he cites compatriot Dzagoev and Mesut Ozil as inspirations. If not a starter, then he will almost certainly be a late introduction, and could use the opportunity to announce himself on an international stage.

Such a performance would be well timed for Slutsky. A recent report in Russia claimed there is to be a six part film made about the Russian coach. A potentially interesting story, it may gain a memorable scene with a win against England on Saturday, even if Slutsky does not sound confident, “England are a much stronger side than the other teams,” Slutsky said this week. “They have young players, but of a high level. Their ten victories in qualifying are a testament to that strength. Of course in our group they can surpass anyone.”