Dzhikia doubtful for World Cup

MOSCOW: Russian international Georgy Dzhikia will likely miss the World Cup despite undergoing successful surgery on a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.In a statement on Tuesday, his club Spartak Moscow said an approximate date for the full-back’s recovery would be announced later.The 24-year-old injured his left knee last Thursday during a friendly with Chinese high-flyers Shanghai SIPG in Dubai, where Russian champions Spartak have set up a training camp to prepare for the league’s resumption after its winter break. Such injuries often require around six months to recover from.It’s a headache for Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov with less than five months to go before the start of the World Cup, which the country will host.”