Sandro Schwarz: We drew a lesson from the Cup defeat – it will be another game on Saturday

— Sandro, what are your expectations from the upcoming match?

— We are coming to this encounter with full concentration. We will face a strong opponent on Saturday. In the previous match against Zenit, Krylia Sovetov proved that they knew how to play well and disciplined in defense. We know that they have footballers with high individual skills, especially on the wings. They also have a good target man. We need to play reliably in defense and show our football.

— Dynamo suffered a painful defeat from Krylia Sovetov in the previous Russian Cup draw. How much has the Samara side changed during this time?

— Their formation didn’t change much — they play either 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1. Also, the Samara side didn't sign many newcomers. Therefore, we understand the style of this team. We have drawn a lesson from the Cup defeat, we are waiting for another game on Saturday. I think we can succeed.

— Is it possible to call that defeat from Krylia the worst in your Russian career? How much does it additionally motivate the team before the upcoming game?

— Yes, we went through that painful defeat, because we wanted to get to the semi-finals of the Russian Cup. We needed two days to come to our senses. But I wouldn't compare that game to the Saturday's match. Our team are in good shape, and we want to take three points in this encounter.

— Many people note 16-year-old Sergey Pinyayev, who is called the future of Russian football. Have you heard anything about him?

— We are not preparing for any particular player. We need to fully analyze all the strong points of the Samara side. We have started to hold a detailed analysis of the opponent since yesterday. There will also be theoretical and tactical sessions today.

— Can Anton Shunin play on Saturday?

— Anton trained with the team. Let's see in what shape he will come to the match. Lesovoy and Laxalt are definitely not available.

— What are the current conditions of Vyacheslav Grulyov and Konstantin Tyukavin? Who will you give preference to on Saturday?

— They are both young players with high potential. Grulyov is a tall player, he differs from Tyukavin. Kostya constantly exhausts the opponent's defense with his movements. We have not yet made a final decision on who will be in the starting eleven. But we are glad that we have two such diverse strikers.

— Now Dynamo are in optimal shape. Do you plan that the team will keep the same good physical conditions until the end of the year?

— We constantly monitor the physical conditions of the team. It is in good shape now. I don't think we can lose our conditions in the coming months. We have to run a lot during matches, accelerate when needed, so the players should be in great shape. When we can combine it with our tactical ideas, it leads to success.

— What can you say about Dmitry Skopintsev's play as a left-back?

— Last year Dmitry played in this position and was a very important footballer for us. This season we used him in midfield, where he also showed himself well. Now he became better in tackles, shows a high-quality game. We are satisfied with the way he performs as a fullback. He gives his best in all training sessions.

— This time, Tyukavin has not been called up to the Russian national team. How did he accept this situation?

— I don't think it was a blow for him. He is still a young football player who is going through a development process. I am convinced that the head coach of the national team watches his play. Now Tyukavin needs to focus on the training process and his performance.

— Both Sebastian Szymanski and Guillermo Varela have three yellow cards and risk missing the derby against Spartak. Will you put any emphasis on this aspect?

— How can I approach a football player and say: «Don't forget that you have three yellow cards?» It is important for me that all our players give their best on the pitch. Of course, you should not commit stupid fouls. The strongest squad will come out against Krylia, and we will think about the derby later.

— The main rumor of recent days — Edinson Cavani could have joined Dynamo in the summer, but you decided to stake to the club's prospects. What can you say on this information?

— Cavani is on contract with Manchester United, so I don't think it's worth talking about it. We work with the players we have at our disposal.

— How can you explain that you almost never make substitutions before the 60th minute?

— I absolutely trust all our players. Both those who come on the pitch from the first minutes, and those who appear during the match. If we take the encounter against Sochi into consideration, we replaced Zakharyan at half-time, and then Yevgenyev came out as a substitute. We switched to a play with three centre-backs. We don't have any single approach to when and who we replace. We look at how the match is going and try to make timely substitutions.

— Many people call Dynamo the main competitor of Zenit. Do you agree with it? And how does it influence the team?

— I think that Zenit's main competitor is the same Zenit. There are players with high individual skills in this team. We have to stay true to ourselves: prepare for each encounter with maximum concentration, try to take three points and be constantly in good shape.

— The day before yesterday you went to the Dynamo — Spartak hockey match. What are your impressions?

— It's always good to beat Spartak. Congratulations on the victory of Dynamo hockey players, who started this season well. It's always nice to be in the stands and support our team.