Ugochukwu Iwu will not play again in the 2025/26 season

Armenia national team and Rubin Kazan central midfielder Ugochukwu Iwu will not play again in the current 2025/26 season. The footballer will miss several months after undergoing surgery.

This was announced by Armenia national team head coach Yeghishe Melikyan during a podcast with Karen Rafaelyan. According to him, the player’s recovery will take at least four months.

As a result, one of Armenia’s key midfielders will miss the team’s upcoming friendlies against the UAE (March 26) and Belarus (March 29), as well as the friendly matches scheduled for June. Moreover, Melikyan did not rule out that Iwu might also miss the official UEFA Nations League matches planned for September–October.

“This news about Iwu really puzzled me. When I found out, I was very disappointed. Now I have to find a replacement for him, which we currently don’t have,” Melikyan said.

The head coach also noted that a large number of young players are expected to be called up for the upcoming friendlies. Among the possible replacements for Iwu, he specifically mentioned Pyunik midfielder Karlen Hovhannisyan, who previously worked with Melikyan at the Yerevan club.

Ugochukwu Iwu underwent surgery in February during Rubin’s winter training camp. However, the details and nature of the surgery have not been disclosed.

Who will partner Eduard Spertsyan in central midfield is now one of the key questions for the Armenia national team’s coaching staff.

Previously, Artak Dashyan and Solomon Udo were used as alternatives to Iwu when needed. However, Dashyan can no longer play for the national team due to health issues, while Udo has not been called up for quite some time.

Another option considered was Ararat-Armenia midfielder Karen Muradyan, but due to his age he is not seen as a long-term solution.

It is expected that the coaching staff will rely on young players in the upcoming friendlies. Possible candidates include Pyunik midfielder Karlen Hovhannisyan, Edgar Piloyan from Alashkert, and Urartu midfielder Narek Aghasaryan, who has already made his debut for the national team.