MOSCOW (Olympics) - Russia star Victor Khryapa is still suffering from an ankle injury and has not been included in what is expected to be the final national team squad for the Olympics.

Khryapa, one of the most valuable players in last year’s gold-medal winning side at the EuroBasket in Spain, got hurt during the preparations for next month’s big event in China.

Russia coach David Blatt, however, is refusing to give up hope.

"The player will be called at the last minute if he recovers from injury,” Blatt said. “In that case, he would be included in the team."

Russia Basketball Federation general director Serguei Tarakanov announced the list of 12 players that will travel to Beijing for the Olympics and six of them play for CSKA Moscow.

Alexandr Kaun, the 23-year-old who won an NCAA title with Kansas earlier this year and recently signed with CSKA, has made the cut.

CSKA Moscow point guard JR Holden, who hit the game-winning shot in the final of last year’s EuroBasket, remains in the group as the one naturalized player.

His fellow American, Travis Hansen of Dynamo Moscow, was recently naturalized but Blatt has retained Holden.

Russian team: Holden, Samoylenko, Pashutin, Bykov, Keiru, Fridzon, Kirilenko, Monya, Vorontsevich, Savrasenko, Morgunov, Kaun.

FIBA