Five Armenia players could make their senior debuts against Latvia

Armenia will begin their UEFA Nations League campaign at home to Latvia on September 25. With numerous players sidelined by injuries, Yeghishe Melikyan’s team enters its opening match with a significantly changed squad. Eight players in the matchday squad have made no more than three senior international appearances, while five have yet to play for Armenia. The Football Federation of Armenia previously reported injuries to several players called up for this international window.

Who could make their debuts against Latvia?

The final squad includes five players who have yet to appear for the senior national team:

• Gor Matinyan;
• Erik Simonyan;
• Argishti Petrosyan;
• Khariton Ayvazyan;
• Artur Garibyan.

Any of them could earn their first minutes for Armenia today. The Latvia match will also test the depth of Melikyan’s squad amid the team’s injury problems.

Spertsyan leads the squad in appearances and goals

Captain Eduard Spertsyan is the most experienced player in the current squad, with 42 appearances for Armenia. Nair Tiknizyan and Georgi Harutyunyan follow with 31 each. Artur Serobyan has played 28 matches and Zhirayr Shaghoyan 24. Ognjen Čančarević, Ugochukwu Iwu and Edgar Sevikyan have made 21 appearances each, while Artur Miranyan has 20.

Spertsyan is also the leading international scorer among the players in the squad, with 12 goals. Sevikyan has scored twice; Miranyan, Shaghoyan, Tiknizyan, Serobyan and Gor Manvelyan have one goal each. For every other player in the squad, a goal against Latvia would be their first for Armenia.

Armenia vs Latvia will take place at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan, with kick-off at 20:00 local time.