After a winning start to this year's World Championship on Friday, Saturday turned out to be a tough day for Russia.

The defending champion was hit with three bits of disappointing news, with Datsyuk unable to join the roster and injuries hitting Zaripov and Viktor Tikhonov.

Datsyuk, who was hoping to come to the Czech Republic after his Stanley Cup campaign with the Red Wings ended last week, had to turn down the invitation due to injury, according to Team Russia GM Andrei Safronov.

"We talked to him but there's a problem with his ankle," Safronov said on Saturday. "He wanted to come and help the guys but it just won't work out."

Safronov also lamented the loss of Zaripov, whose injury against Norway turned out to be serious. The Metallurg Magnitogorsk frontman won't feature again this season.

"We've suffered the same kind of blow we had in Minsk," Safronov added. "That time it was Andrei Loktionov, here it's Danis Zaripov who is out of the competition after being injured in a collision.

"We'll just have to keep going - you can't get through a World Championship without picking up injuries but I think Zaripov is a serious loss.

Tikhonov, who also picked up a knock against the Norwegians, is expected to miss a couple of games.
Safronov also announced that Yevgeni Malkin and Nikolai Kulyomin were ready to play in the up-coming games.