The head coach of the U-21 national team, Rashad Eyyubov, spoke to Offsideplus.az about the team's issues with match fitness and squad selection.

The young specialist also clarified the limited number of players called up from the Youth League:

"Overall, we have hardly used players from the Youth League during this selection phase. From day one, I have believed that the level of this tournament is not sufficient for players to compete at the U-21 level. The only exceptions I can mention are Shahin Ibrahimov and currently Elgun Dunyamaliyev. Elgun also has experience in the Premier League. These are the players we have officially called up from the Youth Championship for national team matches.

Preparing for these matches is very challenging for us. There are positions where our players have not had any chances in the Premier League this season. The vast majority of our players have not played a total of 90 minutes during the first six rounds. Therefore, if we are talking about match fitness, this is indeed a serious problem for us."

Despite this, Eyyubov highlighted some positive aspects:

"Alongside this, we also have positive examples. I would like to mention Edqar, Rufat, Oruc, and Ravan. We are very pleased that they are now part of the senior national team. They have come a long way and this is already their third season competing at an elite level."

The U-21 coach also commented on Nəriman Akhundzadeh being called up to the youth team instead of the senior squad:

"Yes, Nəriman will be with us for this gathering. He is currently going through a challenging period in his career. He has moved to a very serious and strong league, and he needs time to adapt to such a level. I am very glad that Nəriman is with us. He possesses different qualities, and he is a bright and unique player for Azerbaijani football."