--- title: "Maldera ahead of the Hungary match: Ponomarenko is feeling a bit under the weather, decision on Yaremchuk within hours" description: "At the press conference, Andrea Maldera said that Matvey Ponomarenko is feeling a bit under the weather but should be ready for the match against Hungary, while the decision on Roman Yaremchuk, who is experiencing knee pain, will be made within hours." date: 2026-09-24T16:58:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/maldera-ponomarenko-yaremchuk-hungary-ukraine tags: [ukraine-national-team, andrea-maldera, matvey-ponomarenko, roman-yaremchuk, hungary-ukraine, nations-league] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Maldera ahead of the Hungary match: Ponomarenko is feeling a bit under the weather, decision on Yaremchuk within hours ![Coach Malydera at the press conference before Ukraine's match against Hungary, discussing Ponomarenko and Yaremchuk's condition](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/24/maldera-ponomarenko-yaremchuk-vengriya-ukraina/maldera-ponomarenko-yaremchuk-vengriya-ukraina-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Matvey Ponomarenko missed part of training due to a mild indisposition, but according to Maldera, he should be ready for the match against Hungary. - Roman Yaremchuk's participation is in doubt due to knee pain; a decision will be made within hours. - The Hungary — Ukraine match on 25 September in Budapest will be Andrea Maldera's first official game in charge of the national team. - The national team's home matches on 2 and 5 October will be held in Trnava, Slovakia, at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium. The head coach of the Ukraine national team, Andrea Maldera, commented on the physical condition of the team's key strikers at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Nations League encounter with Hungary. The Italian specialist explained why Matvey Ponomarenko missed part of the training session before the match and reported uncertainty regarding Roman Yaremchuk's participation. The Hungary — Ukraine match will take place on Friday, 25 September, in Budapest, and will be the first official game under the new manager of the "blue-and-yellow" side. ### Ponomarenko's condition: mild indisposition with no serious consequences According to Maldera, Ponomarenko's absence from training is not linked to any serious problem. The Dynamo striker is feeling a bit under the weather — according to reports that relayed the press conference, this refers to a sore throat. That said, the coaching staff expects the forward to be ready to take the field as early as the next match. Thus, the national team is not losing its main man up front due to an injury or prolonged treatment. ### The Yaremchuk question: knee pain and a decision within hours The situation with Roman Yaremchuk remains more complicated. Maldera acknowledged that the striker is experiencing some pain in his knee, which is why his participation in the match against Hungary is still in doubt. The specialist emphasized that the final decision will be made within hours — after additional monitoring by the medical staff. This means the matchday squad may only be finalized a few hours before the kickoff. ### Maldera's first official match in charge of the national team The encounter with Hungary in Budapest carries special symbolic value: it will be Andrea Maldera's first official match as head coach of the Ukraine national team. Kickoff will be at 21:45 Kyiv time. For the new manager, this is both a debut in official practice and an opportunity to immediately test the depth of the attack, given the uncertainty surrounding two of the main forwards. ### Home matches in Trnava in early October After the Budapest game, the Ukraine national team will play two home matches in early October — on 2 and 5 October. The "blue-and-yellow" side's opponents will be Northern Ireland and Hungary. Both matches will be held in Trnava, Slovakia, at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium. Thus, this stretch of four Nations League matches will serve as the first full test in the official campaign for the team under Maldera's leadership. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Problems up front: Maldera spoke on whether Ponomarenko is ready for the game against Hungary](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/problemi-vistri-maldera-rozpoviv-chi-gotoviy-1790268854.html) - Базовый источник: Пономаренко немного заболел, Яремчук — боль в колене, решение в ближайшие часы; матч 25.09 в Будапеште, первый официальный матч Мальдеры. - [Maldera: Ponomarenko is feeling a bit under the weather, decision on Yaremchuk's participation within hours](https://sportarena.ua/football/nations-league/maldera-ponomarenko-nemnogo-pribolel-po-uchastiyu/) - Подтверждает формулировки тренера по обоим нападающим. - [Andrea Maldera: "Ponomarenko has a slight sore throat, there are some doubts regarding ..."](https://ua.tribuna.com/football/1000000378809-andrea-maldera-u-ponomarenka-troshky-horlo-zabolilo-maye/) - Уточняет, что недомогание Пономаренко связано с горлом; согласуется с общей версией. - [Ponomarenko has a sore throat, Yaremchuk has a knee issue — Maldera on the players' condition ahead of the match with ...](https://unn.ua/ru/news/ponomarenko-bespokoit-gorlo-yaremchuka-koleno-maldera-o-sostoyanii-igrokov-pered-matchem-s-vengriei) - Подтверждает обе линии: горло у Пономаренко, колено у Яремчука. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Is Matvey Ponomarenko ready for the match against Hungary? **A:** Yes, according to Andrea Maldera, the Dynamo striker is feeling a bit under the weather (a sore throat), but it is not a serious problem, and he should be ready for the game on 25 September. ### Q: Will Roman Yaremchuk play in the match against Hungary? **A:** It is still in doubt: Yaremchuk is experiencing some pain in his knee, and the coaching staff will make a decision within hours. ### Q: When and where will the Hungary — Ukraine match take place? **A:** The match will be held on Friday, 25 September, in Budapest, with kickoff at 21:45 Kyiv time. This is Andrea Maldera's first official match in charge of the national team. ### Q: Where will the Ukraine national team play its home matches in October? **A:** The home matches on 2 and 5 October (against Northern Ireland and Hungary) will be held in Trnava, Slovakia, at the Anton Malatinsky Stadium.