Roman Neustadter clear to play for Russia at Euro 2016

Defender Roman Neustadter will be able to play in Euro 2016 after receiving his Russian passport.

Neustadter, who plays for Bundesliga side Schalke, was born in the Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk during the Soviet Union era and qualifies to play for Russia despite having played in two friendly internationals for Germany.

He approached the Russian Football Union in January to advance his claims of playing for the nation and President Vladimir Putin granted the 28-year-old Russian citizenship earlier in May.

Neustadter has two chances to earn a first Russia cap before the tournament starts, with Russia still to play friendlies against the Czech Republic on June 1 and Serbia on June 5.

Their first game in France is against England on June 11 in Marseille, and they will also face Slovakia and Wales in Group B.

Confirmed Russia squad:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Guilherme (Lokomotiv Moscow), Yuri Lodygin (Zenit St Petersburg).

Defenders: Alexei Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Vasili Berezutski (CSKA Moscow), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moscow), Dmitri Kombarov (Spartak Moscow), Roman Neustadter (Schalke 04), Georgi Schennikov (CSKA Moscow), Roman Shishkin (Lokomotiv Moscow), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit)

Midfielders: Igor Denisov (Dynamo Moscow), Denis Glushakov (Spartak Moscow), Alexander Golovin (CSKA Moscow), Oleg Ivanov (Terek Grozny), Pavel Mamaev (Krasnodar), Alexander Samedov (Lokomotiv Moscow), Oleg Shatov (Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Shirokov (CSKA Moscow), Dmitri Torbinski (Krasnodar). 

Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Zenit St Petersburg), Alexander Kokorin (Zenit St Petersburg), Fedor Smolov (Krasnodar)