Russia coach Guus
Hiddink on Monday strongly dismissed suggestions he wanted to keep star forward
Pavel Pogrebnyak in the Euro 2008 squad despite a knee injury.
"I don't put any pressure on my players," Hiddink told a news
conference on the eve of Russia's first game against fancied Spain.
"I am the first to think about the team. But I am also the first who
protects his players."
Pogrebnyak was dropped from the Russia squad on Saturday and replaced with Oleg
Ivanov. The Zenit St Petersburg player underwent a knee operation in Munich on Sunday.
Pogrebnyak damaged his left meniscus two weeks ago in a friendly with Serbia and according to Hiddink had the green light from doctors to play at Euro, which made him
decide to come to Austria for the tournament, dpa
reported.