Opposite Hitter Dimitar Dimitrov, who remains in the extended national team squad "on stand by" until August 30, continues to train with CSKA. Ivaylo Stefanov assists him in ball work to maintain competitive form while awaiting head coach Blengini's final decision.
The deadline the Italian had set for announcing the 14 volleyball players for the World Championship expired yesterday. The national team players have a day off today, and their departure for Japan is scheduled for Saturday evening with a flight via Istanbul. Most likely, the squad will be announced tomorrow or Saturday morning.
The current group in Samokov
Currently, there are 16 players in the training camp in Samokov. Three more were added to the initial 13 who began preparations on August 1 – Denis Bardarov, Boris Nachev, and libero Dimitar Dobrev.
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Martin Atanasov | Outside hitter |
| Simeon Nikolov | Setter |
| Alex Grozdanov | Middle blocker |
| Georgi Tatarov | Outside hitter |
| Stoil Palev | Setter |
| Iliya Petkov | Middle blocker |
| Aleksandar Nikolov | Opposite hitter |
| Venislav Antov | Opposite hitter |
| Rusi Zhelev | Outside hitter-libero |
| Damyan Kolev | Libero (slight injury - bandaged left palm) |
| Krasimir Georgiev | Middle blocker |
| Asparuh Asparuhov | Outside hitter |
| Denis Bardarov | Outside hitter |
| Boris Nachev | Middle blocker |
| Dimitar Dobrev | Libero |
Two players must be dropped, and logically the decision will fall on the younger ones or those with current health problems. Damyan Kolev's condition does not cause concern, while the inclusion of Dobrev as a second libero would be an interesting move by the staff.
Probably one of the middle blockers will be excluded from the final squad.
It is not excluded that Denis Bardarov will also drop out of the final list.
The presence of two liberos and the potential occupancy of this position in certain matches by Rusi Zhelev, which he successfully did during the VNL, indicates that the second player to drop out may be a player in this position.
All these are assumptions. We are waiting for the final decision of the Senior.
photos: Nikolay Varadinov
