--- title: "Mykolenko will not play against Georgia: Maldera names the reason and reveals Ukraine's goalkeeper" description: "Ukraine will play Georgia in the Nations League without the injured Vitaliy Mykolenko, Anatoliy Trubin will start in goal, and Roman Yaremchuk has returned to action." date: 2026-09-27T16:46:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/mykolenko-will-not-play-against-georgia-maldera tags: [vitaliy-mykolenko, andrea-maldera, nations-league, ukraine-georgia, football, anatoliy-trubin] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Mykolenko will not play against Georgia: Maldera names the reason and reveals Ukraine's goalkeeper ![Vitaliy Mykolenko playing for the Ukraine national team](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/27/mikolenko-ne-syigraet-s-gruziey-maldera-nazval-prichinu/mikolenko-ne-syigraet-s-gruziey-maldera-nazval-prichinu-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Vitaliy Mykolenko will miss the match against Georgia due to a leg injury. - Anatoliy Trubin will play in goal for Ukraine instead of Dmytro Riznyk. - Forward Roman Yaremchuk has recovered from injury and is ready to play. - The Nations League match Georgia vs Ukraine will take place on September 28, 2026, in Tbilisi. The Ukrainian national football team is facing serious personnel challenges ahead of their UEFA Nations League second-round match against the Georgian national team. As acting head coach of the 'blue-and-yellows' Andrea Maldera stated at the pre-match press conference in Tbilisi, defender Vitaliy Mykolenko will not be able to participate in the upcoming fixture. The reason for this decision is a leg injury sustained by the player. The coaching staff decided not to risk the player's health given the tight schedule of matches and the importance of maintaining his physical fitness. To recap, in the opening Nations League match against Hungary, which ended in a victory for the Ukrainian team, Mykolenko played all 94 minutes on the pitch. Now, the coaching staff faces the difficult task of finding an optimal replacement on the left flank of the defense. At the same time, there is good news for the fans: forward Roman Yaremchuk has fully recovered from knee issues and is ready to help the team in the match against the Georgian squad. ### Goalkeeper Rotation As for the goalkeeper position, the coaching staff made their choice in advance. Anatoliy Trubin will start in goal for the Ukrainian national team against Georgia, replacing Dmytro Riznyk. Andrea Maldera explained that the agreement on goalkeeper rotation was reached before the tournament started: Riznyk played the first match, and Trubin will get his chance in the second. This approach allows both high-class goalkeepers to maintain active playing practice. ### Contradictory Data During the coverage of the pre-match press conference in various sports media outlets, certain discrepancies arose regarding names and details of player injuries. Some sources in their news briefs mistakenly mentioned issues with a player named Mykola, referring to Maldera's quote about 'a small issue with Mykola', but specialized football publications confirmed that the reference was specifically to Vitaliy Mykolenko and his muscle discomfort in his leg. Such technical slips in press conference translations often accompany coaches' speeches in foreign languages, but the official team roster confirms Mykolenko's absence. ### Context and Match Expectations The Nations League second-round match between Georgia and Ukraine will take place on Monday, September 28, 2026, in Tbilisi amid high tournament intrigue. Kick-off is scheduled for 19:00 Kyiv time. The Ukrainian team approaches this game as the favorite following a successful away match against Hungary, but personnel losses in the defensive line force the coaching staff to look for flexible tactical solutions to achieve a positive result. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Миколенко не сыграет с Грузией: Мальдера назвал причину и сообщил, кто станет в ворота Украины](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/mikolenko-zigrae-gruzieyu-maldera-nazvav-1790527387.html) - Официальное заявление Андреа Мальдеры на пресс-конференции о травме Миколенко и выходе Трубина. - [Тяжелая потеря для сборной Украины. Мальдера сообщил плохие новости](https://sport.ua/news/910752-tyazhelaya-poterya-dlya-sbornoy-ukrainy-maldera-soobshchil-plohie-novosti) - Подтверждение информации о пропуске матча Миколенко из-за проблем с ногой. - [Мальдера определил стартового вратаря сборной Украины на матч против Грузии](https://sport.ua/news/910755-maldera-opredelil-startovogo-vratarya-sbornoy-ukrainy-na-match-protiv-gruzii) - Подтверждение информации о пропуске матча Миколенко из-за проблем с ногой. - [Андреа Мальдера: «Против Грузии будет играть Трубин»](https://ua.tribuna.com/football/1000000379648-andrea-maldera-proty-hruziyi-bude-hraty-trubin/) - Цитаты тренера сборной Украины. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why won't Vitaliy Mykolenko play against Georgia? **A:** The defender sustained a leg injury, and the coaching staff decided not to risk his health. ### Q: Who will start in goal for the Ukraine national team? **A:** Anatoliy Trubin will guard the goal in the match against Georgia. ### Q: When will the Georgia vs Ukraine match take place? **A:** The match will take place on September 28, 2026, in Tbilisi, starting at 19:00 Kyiv time.