CSKA Moscow’s on-loan Zvonimir Sarlija to end season in Turkey

Zvonimir Sarlija’s loan spell with CSKA Moscow has been cut short with the Croatian defender immediately heading to Kasimpassa in the Turkish Super Lig. Sarlija left CSKA’s training camp in Spain to join his new teammates on Friday and made his debut yesterday in a 6-0 defeat away to Trabzonspor.

The 23-year-old started eight of CSKA’s first twelve Russian Premier League fixtures but only featured in two of the remaining seven league games, both from the bench. With the emergence of 17-year-old youth team product Vadim Karpov - voted by UEFA as one of Europe’s 50 youngsters to watch - and the return from injury of Cedric Gogoua, competition for places has grown.

Meanwhile CSKA’s new striker Ilya Shkurin will wear the number 11 squad number. He takes over the shirt that current RPL players Pavel Mamaev, Aleksey Ionov and Kirill Panchenko have worn previously, as well as club legend Vagner Love.