Blokhin names Ukraine squad for Israel friendly
Monday, February 20, 2012
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Ukraine coach Oleh Blokhin has named a 20-man squad for this month's friendly against Israel with Andriy Shevchenko and Dmytro Chygrynskiy the only notable absentees.
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Andriy Shevchenko and Dmytro Chygrynskiy are the only notable absentees from Oleh Blokhin's 20-man Ukraine squad to face Israel in a friendly in Petach-Tikva on 29 February.
The FC Shakhtar Donetsk defender misses out having failed to recover from an ankle injury and a series of hamstring tears during the last nine months, while FC Dynamo Kyiv forward Shevchenko is sidelined with a heel complaint. Blokhin has named eight of his fellow club men in the squad, though, with defender Taras Mikhalik recalled after returning to full fitness following long-term knee and ankle problems.
Only three foreign-based players have been named in the party that will meet at Dynamo's training camp on 27 February before departing for Israel the following day. The UEFA EURO 2012 co-hosts have been drawn alongside Sweden, France and England in Group D with their first game taking place against the Swedes in Kyiv on 11 June.
Ukraine squad
Goalkeepers: Andriy Dykan (FC Spartak Moskva), Olexandr Shovkovskiy (FC Dynamo Kyiv).
Defenders: Bohdan Butko (FC Illychivets Mariupil), Olexandr Kucher (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Vitaly Mandziuk (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Taras Mikhalik (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Yaroslav Rakitskiy (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Yevhen Selin (FC Vorskla Poltava), Yevhen Khacheridi (FC Dynamo Kyiv).
Midfielders: Olexandr Aliyev (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Denys Garmash (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Oleh Gusev (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Yevhen Konoplyanka (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Serhiy Nazarenko (SC Tavriya Simferopol), Ruslan Rotan (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (FC Bayern München), Andriy Yarmolenko (FC Dynamo Kyiv).
Forwards: Andriy Voronin (FC Dinamo Moskva), Marko Dević (FC Metalist Kharkiv), Artem Milevskiy (FC Dynamo Kyiv).
