The Ukraine national football team has officially announced a 23-player squad for the nominally home match of the third round of the UEFA Nations League against Northern Ireland. The crucial tournament fixture will take place today, October 2, 2026, in the Slovak city of Trnava at the Anton Malatinský Stadium. The national team coaching staff, led by Andrea Maldera, faced the difficult task of making tough squad decisions, leaving several players out of the final roster.
Personnel Situation and Ukraine Squad Details
The final list includes 23 players with assigned official kit numbers. The goalkeeping position is covered by Georgiy Ermakov, Anatoliy Trubin, and Dmytro Riznyk. The defensive line features Ilya Krupsky, Eduard Sarapiy, Taras Mykhavko, Valeriy Bondar, Illia Zabarnyi, and Mykola Matviyenko. The midfield will be represented by both experienced and young talents: Volodymyr Brazhko, captain Andriy Yarmolenko, Heorhiy Sudakov, Mykola Shaparenko, Viktor Tsygankov, Ivan Varfolomeyev, Oleksandr Nazarenko, Oleh Ocheretko, Yehor Nazarina, and Oleksandr Zubkov. Roman Yaremchuk, Matvey Ponomarenko, Danylo Sikan, and Ihor Krasnopir will lead the attack.
Squad Losses and Players Left Out
The team faced significant setbacks ahead of the crucial game. As many as six players were left out of the matchday squad by coaching decision: defenders Oleksandr Drambayev and Bohdan Mykhaylichenko, midfielders Oleksandr Pikhalyonok, Maksym Khlan, and Vladyslav Veleten, as well as forward Vladyslav Vanat. Additionally, key defender Vitaliy Mykolenko left the national team camp prior to the match due to an injury, creating further headaches for the coaching staff ahead of the vital encounter.
Tournament Context and Match Details
Currently, the Ukrainian national team under Andrea Maldera shares the top spot in Group 2 of Division B with Northern Ireland. Both teams have 4 points to their name with an identical goal difference. The starting whistle from Belgian referee Jasper Vergoote will blow at 21:45 Kyiv time. This clash is of critical importance for the balance of power in the group and the promotion race.
