---
title: "Personnel crisis on the flank: Ukraine national team loses defenders ahead of Nations League match"
description: "Ukraine faces personnel issues ahead of the Nations League match against Northern Ireland: Mykolenko left the camp, and Mykhaylichenko missed training."
date: 2026-10-02T08:26:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/personnel-crisis-ukraine-loses-defenders-nations-league
tags: [ukraine-national-team, nations-league, football, northern-ireland, andrea-maldera]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Personnel crisis on the flank: Ukraine national team loses defenders ahead of Nations League match

![Ukraine national football team training ahead of the Nations League match](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/02/problema-na-flange-maldera-poteryal-zashchitnika/problema-na-flange-maldera-poteryal-zashchitnika-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Vitaliy Mykolenko left the Ukraine national team camp prematurely
- Bohdan Mykhaylichenko missed the pre-match training session
- Several players worked under an individual program
- The team is holding its training camp in Senec, Slovakia

The Ukraine national football team has faced serious personnel issues ahead of a crucial UEFA Nations League Round 3 match against Northern Ireland. The coaching staff led by Andrea Maldera is forced to rebuild defensive lines right in the middle of a short preparation cycle, as the national team's medical room has unexpectedly welcomed new players.

### Defensive line issues

The main setback during the pre-match training session was the absence of defender Bohdan Mykhaylichenko, who missed the session alongside another key defensive player, Vitaliy Mykolenko. Later, the Ukrainian Association of Football officially confirmed that Vitaliy Mykolenko left the national team camp prematurely due to an injury and will not be able to help the team in the upcoming fixture. In addition to them, three more players — Veleten, Vanat, and Pykhalyonok — worked individually on a separate pitch, significantly narrowing the tactical options for the coaching staff.

### Contradictory data

Certain discrepancies emerged in the media space regarding the exact number of players dropped from the training process and the final match squad. While specialized publications reported a narrow circle of injured players directly during the training session in Senec, Slovakia, other reputable sources such as Korrespondent.net and NV.ua stated that a total of seven Ukraine players were left out of the final roster for the match against Northern Ireland. Such differences in figures are due to the fact that some players were recovering individually, while others were officially excluded from the match roster.

### Preparation in Slovakia and team atmosphere

It is worth noting that Andrea Maldera's coaching staff has decided for the third consecutive time to hold the final training sessions before away or nominally home matches not at the match arena, but at the football center base in Senec, Slovakia. This center is located about 25 kilometers from Trnava and provides the necessary conditions for closed training. A total of 22 outfield players and three goalkeepers took part in the general pre-match session.

### Team spirit

Despite tangible personnel losses and the absence of several important performers, a positive working atmosphere remains within the team. The coaching staff is working on the psychological adaptation of substitutes who will have to close problematic positions on the pitch. The match against Northern Ireland is of key importance for the tournament prospects of the Ukrainian national team in the current Nations League campaign, so every player understands the level of responsibility to the fans.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Проблема на фланге: Мальдера потерял еще одного защитника перед игрой против Северной Ирландии](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/problema-flanzi-maldera-vtrativ-shche-odnogo-1790929432.html) - Основной источник информации о травме Михайличенко и отъезде Миколенко.
- [Семь игроков сборной Украины не вошли в заявку на Северную Ирландию](https://korrespondent.net/sport/football/4916670-sem-yhrokov-sbornoi-ukrayny-ne-voshly-v-zaiavku-na-severnuui-yrlandyui) - Детализирует общую заявку и количество игроков, не попавших в состав.
- [Сборная Украины объявила заявку на матч против Северной Ирландии в Лиге наций](https://tsn.ua/ru/prosport/sbornaya-ukrainy-obyavila-zayavku-na-match-protiv-severnoy-irlandii-v-lige-natsiy-3179858.html) - Подтверждает статус заявки команды на матч Лиги наций.
- [Семь игроков не попали в заявку сборной Украины на матч с Северной Ирландией в Лиге наций](https://sport.nv.ua/football/ukraina-severnaya-irlandiya-zayavka-na-match-ligi-naciy-bez-mikolenko-i-vanata-50646456.html) - Дополнительное подтверждение кадровых потерь сборной.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why won't Vitaliy Mykolenko play against Northern Ireland?
**A:** Vitaliy Mykolenko left the Ukraine national team camp prematurely due to an injury.

### Q: Where did the Ukraine national team train before the match?
**A:** The team trained at the football center in Senec, Slovakia, located 25 km from Trnava.