The era of Andrea Maldini with the Ukrainian national team began with a significant challenge. The Italian coach, who officially took charge on May 18, faced a shortage of players even before the start of the first training camp. The main blow was to the midfield: one of the most promising players in Ukrainian football, Yevhen Yarmoliuk, was ruled out.
Injury in the Premier League: A Loss for the National Team
The 22-year-old midfielder from Brentford will not be able to help the national team in the upcoming friendly matches against Poland and Denmark. The reason is an unpleasant injury sustained during the final season of the English Premier League. For Yarmoliuk, this season was breakthrough: 42 matches in all tournaments, one goal, and two assists. His absence deprives Maldini of an important element in the center of the field, capable of dictating the tempo and joining attacks.
Who Will Replace Yarmoliuk? Brazhok in the Main Squad
Instead of the leader of Brentford, the midfielder from Kyiv Dynamo, Volodymyr Brazhok, was included in the squad. He was moved from the reserve list to the main squad. This decision seems logical: Brazhok is an experienced player with good playing practice in the Ukrainian championship, capable of covering the position in the center of the field. However, the question of whether he can fully replace Yarmoliuk's dynamism remains open.
First Test for Maldini
The friendly matches against Poland (May 31, Wrocław) and Denmark (June 7, Odense) will be the first serious test for the new coach. Both games will be played away, which adds complexity. Maldini will have to not only adapt the team to his system but also find the optimal solution in the conditions of forced rotation.
Reserve List and Final Squad
With the replacement, the main squad of the Ukrainian national team consists of 26 players. In the reserve list remain: Nazar Voloshyn (Dynamo), Dmytro Kryskiv (Shakhtar), Ihor Krasnopir (Polissya), and Maksym Khlan (Gornik, Poland). These players can be called up in case of force majeure, but their participation in the current matches is unlikely.
The first squad shuffle of Maldini showed that even at the start of work, the coach has to solve complex tasks. The loss of Yarmoliuk is a serious blow, but it is precisely such situations that allow assessing the depth of the squad and the flexibility of the tactical thinking of the new coach.