Artem Dovbyk, the striker for Italian side Bologna, has made the independent decision to skip Ukraine's upcoming matches in the 2026/27 Nations League. According to Sport RBC.UA, citing the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, the Ukrainian forward chose to focus on a full recovery from a muscle injury, preferring to stay in Italy during the international break.

The decision to take a break and its reasons

As reported by Italian media, the decision to pause his appearances for the national team was not an easy one for the player. The cause was a muscle injury to the back of his thigh, which had already led Dovbyk to miss Bologna's previous Serie A matches against Napoli and Torino. Rather than forcing his return for the national team's games, the player decided to complete his rehabilitation in a calm setting at the club's training ground.

Dialogue with the national team coach

Artem Dovbyk himself, in a comment to Tribuna.com, spoke in detail about his health situation and his conversation with the national team coach Andrea Maldera. "Three days before the match against Torino, we spoke with Maldera. I explained to him what my injury was and said that I was preparing for the match against Torino and for the national team. But at the training session before the match, I tried to work with the team and realized it was still too early. I called the national team coach and explained that I still need about a week to be fully ready," the footballer explained.

Bologna's position

The club emphasizes that the striker is a key element of the team's attacking line, so Bologna's coaching staff and management fully supported the decision to keep the player in Italy during the international break. Dovbyk is carrying out individual work at the Casteldebole training ground, gradually returning to training: he is doing warm-ups with the main group and following a personal recovery program.

Contradictory information

Several publications initially reported a version that Dovbyk had suffered a relapse of old health problems. However, the player himself refuted this information in his comment, clarifying that it was a new muscle injury, not an exacerbation of a previous one. Thus, the player's own position contradicts the early media reports, and his own statement should be considered the reliable source.

Context: 2026/27 Nations League

Dovbyk's absence in the upcoming international match windows deprives the Ukraine national team of one of its main attacking options. For the team, this means the need to find alternative solutions up front during the forward's absence, while the player himself is focused on returning to full fitness for both Bologna's Serie A matches and subsequent calls to the national team.