The Ukraine national team has undergone forced squad changes ahead of its upcoming camp, where Andrea Mandorla's side is preparing for the 2026/2027 Nations League matches. According to the UAFA press service, two players will be unable to join the national team — Bologna forward Artem Dovbyk and Polesia midfielder Oleksandr Andrievskyi. Both footballers were ruled out for medical reasons, and their places in the squad were taken by players from the reserve list. Details are reported by Sport RBC.UA, citing the federation's official source.
Reasons for withdrawal: injury and surgery
Artem Dovbyk sustained an injury while playing for his club and, according to the medical staff's assessment, will not be able to take part in the national team's upcoming camp. The second loss is linked to a non-football factor: Polesia midfielder Oleksandr Andrievskyi was diagnosed with appendicitis, after which he underwent surgery. As a result, both players have been officially excluded from the squad for the upcoming matches, which the coaching staff had to compensate for with emergency call-ups.
Who will make the squad: two new names
To make up for the losses, the Ukraine national team's coaching staff called up two footballers to the camp. Joining the national team will be Ihor Krasnopir, a striker from Polesia, and Oleksandr Pykhaleonok, a midfielder from Dynamo. Both players were selected from the reserve list, which allowed the numerical balance of the squad to be maintained without restructuring the tactical setups ahead of the start of the Nations League qualifying matches.
Statistics and experience of the newcomers
Ihor Krasnopir is 23 years old, and this call-up will be his debut for the national team. In the current season, he has played 9 matches for Polesia and scored 5 goals, making him one of the club's most prolific players. Oleksandr Pykhaleonok, by contrast, already has experience of playing for the national team — he has 13 caps for his country. The 29-year-old midfielder has played 8 matches for Dynamo in the current season across various competitions, though he has not yet scored any goals.
Context: preparation for the 2026/2027 Nations League
The squad reshuffle took place against the backdrop of preparation for the 2026/2027 Nations League matches, the full squad for which Andrea Mandorla had already announced earlier. The loss of two players, including key forward Dovbyk, forces the coaching staff to seek a balance between experience and freshness in the squad. The call-up of debutant Krasnopir and experienced Pykhaleonok looks like an attempt to preserve attacking potential and midfield depth under limited squad resources ahead of the tournament's important matches.
