Orenburg midfielder Tigran Avanesyan called up to Armenia national team

Orenburg midfielder Tigran Avanesyan has been called up to the Armenia national team for the March friendly matches. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder will join the national squad for the games against the UAE (March 26) and Belarus (March 29).

This winter Avanesyan joined a Russian Premier League club and quickly secured a place in the starting lineup. In both of his first matches for Orenburg after the winter break, he started the game, including the victorious match against Zenit.

Earlier, the Football Federation of Armenia published a list of ten foreign-based players called up for the upcoming national team matches, but Avanesyan’s name was not on it. The midfielder became the 11th player playing abroad to receive an invitation to the national team for the March training camp.

The decision to call up Avanesyan is related to the injury of midfielder Ugochukwu Iwu. The player is expected to be out longer than initially anticipated, so the coaching staff began looking for alternatives in the defensive midfield position. Considering his strong start to 2026 and consistent performances for Orenburg, Avanesyan is viewed as one of the candidates capable of filling that role.

Tigran Avanesyan has previously played for the Armenia national team and has made three appearances.