Vitaliy Mykolenko will not play against Northern Ireland. (Photo: УАФ)
Vitaliy Mykolenko will not play against Northern Ireland. (Photo: УАФ)
Ukraine defender Vitaliy Mykolenko will miss the upcoming Nations League match against Northern Ireland, head coach Andrea Maldera said at a pre-match press conference on Oct. 1.
Maldera dismissed earlier reports suggesting the 27-year-old defender was ready to return, saying the coaching staff did not want to risk aggravating his injury.
“Unfortunately, we cannot count on Mykolenko. He is not feeling very well. We respect him and would not want him to suffer a more serious injury,” Maldera said.
Mykolenko played the full 90 minutes in Ukraine’s 1-0 victory over Hungary in the opening round of the Nations League but missed the second match against Georgia, which ended 0-0, due to injury.
Ukraine will face Northern Ireland in Trnava, Slovakia, on Oct. 2. The match kicks off at 9:45 p.m. Kyiv time.
Ukraine and Northern Ireland both have four points after two matches and are level at the top of League B Group 2. Hungary and Georgia have one point each.