Armenian National Team players train before a match in Naples, Italy, during last year's World Cup qualifying campaign

Armenia is set for two friendly matches soon against Algeria and Germany respectively. The Algeria match will be played in Sion, Switzerland, on May 31 in order to help prepare the Algerian National Team for the World Cup. Then on June 6 the Armenian National Team will make its way to Mainz, Germany, to face the formidable German squad. The following day, Germany will make its way to Brazil to continue its preparations for the World Cup. Both games are great opportunities for the national team, as they will contest against two of the best teams in the world.

Head Coach, Bernard Challandes has expanded his list of players playing outside of Armenia, which hopefully will prove as a better option. In his roster he has included only six domestic players. The usual will be present including Roman Berezovsky (Dynamo Moscow), defenders Robert Arzumanian (Aktobe Kazakhstan), Levon Hayrapetyan (Pribram, Czech Rep.), Artak Yedigaryan (Zalgiris, Lithuania), defensive midfielders Artur Yedigaryan (Kairat, Kazakhstan) and Karlen Mkrtchyan (Anzhi Makhachkala), attacking midfielders Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Borussia Dortmund), Gevorg Ghazaryan (Metallurh Donetsk) and Aras Ozbiliz (Spartak Moscow) and forwards Yura Movsisyan (Spartak Moscow) and Artur Sarkisov (Volga Nizhniy Novgorod). Marcos Pizelli (Aktobe Kazakhstan) will skip the friendlies due to family reasons.

Five players will be set to make their debut for the Armenian National Team including Mauro Guevgeozian (Alianza Lima, Peru), Artur Miranyan (Shakhtar Donetsk), Artem Simonyan (Zenit Saint Petersburg), Armen Ambartsumyan (CSKA Moscow), and Aleksandr Tumasyan (Jaro, Finland).

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has made it to the Bundesliga Team of the Season as he has lived up to his hefty transfer fee (Borussia Dortmund’s most expensive). He has scored 13 goals in all competitions and provided 11 assists. Only Roberto Firmino of Hoffenheim and teammate, Marco Reus have provided more assists.

Sky Sport has made a list in which includes the best players who failed to reach the World Cup. Henrikh Mkhitaryan was on this list, sitting next to high caliber players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gareth Bale, David Alaba, and teammates Lukasz Pizsczek, Jakub Blaszczykowski, and Robert Lewandowski.