The Ukraine national team has made forced changes to its squad for the upcoming international matches. AS Roma forward Artem Dovbyk will join the national team in place of Dynamo Kyiv striker Matviy Ponomarenko, who sustained an injury in the match against Shakhtar Donetsk and was forced to leave the team camp. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA citing the official UAF Telegram channel.
Ponomarenko's Injury and Forced Replacement
The reason for the reshuffle in the attacking line is Matviy Ponomarenko's injury. According to the source, the Dynamo forward picked up a knock in the game against Shakhtar and was unable to continue working with the national team. Earlier, head coach Andrea Maldera confirmed that Ponomarenko missed the team's training session precisely because of the injury, which ultimately led to his departure from the training camp.
Dovbyk's Call-Up
To replace the injured player, the coaching staff promptly called up Artem Dovbyk. Ukraine head coach Andrea Maldera included the Roma striker in the squad for the upcoming fixtures. Thus, the national team's attacking line will be reinforced following the loss of one of its forwards, and Dovbyk returns to the team's camp to help in two key matches.
Preparation in Uzhhorod
On November 9, the national team held an open training session at the Avanhard Stadium in Uzhhorod. It is in this city that the Ukrainian players are continuing their preparation for the upcoming international matches. The training session was held in an open format, allowing journalists and fans to watch the team in action following the squad change announcement.
Upcoming Opponents
The next opponents for the Ukraine national team will be Northern Ireland and Georgia. The coaching staff is preparing the team for these fixtures taking into account the forced replacement in the attacking department. Dovbyk's arrival is expected to strengthen the forward line and give the coaching staff additional attacking options ahead of two crucial qualifying matches.
