Evgeny Timkin shares his emotions before facing Ak Bars

- Share your thoughts on the morning warm-ups.

- - It was good, we stuck to our usual format. Everyone is ready.

- Are you enjoying working with the younger players?

- It's fine. The guys are working hard with a positive mood.

- You are the SKA captain at the moment.

- My job is to make sure that the young players settle in the team, remaining positive at the same time.

- Can you see that they have the correct mindset for this match?

- Yes, they are certainly preparing mentally.

- What thoughts do you have about Ak Bars Kazan?

- We are preparing in accordance with our usual system. We have played with Ak Bars on several occasions this season already, we know that they have a fast, aggressive team. I think that we will be ready.

- Are you focusing on SKA's performance rather than Ak Bars?

- Of course, when you have such little time, it's important to focus on uniting the group. Nevertheless, you must study the opponents too.

- How difficult is it to bring the players together in such a short time frame?

- It depends on us, the older players. We have to find the right words to support the younger guys. We know that your first matches at this level are always difficult and tense.