Dynamo lose Shovkovskiy services
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Article summary
FC Dynamo Kyiv are likely to be without Ukrainian international goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy for three months due to a broken collarbone.
Article body
Friendly setback
The 31-year-old, who is his country's No1, suffered the injury in Dynamo's first friendly of 2006, against Russian side FC Moskva on Tuesday. "With three minutes to go against Moskva, Shovkovskiy collided with an opposing forward and took a heavy blow to the shoulder," Dynamo coach Anatoli Demianenko said. "The scan confirmed he has broken his right collarbone. He will have surgery in Kiev on Thursday."
World Cup incentive
Club president Igor Surkis added: "Shovkovskiy is one of our team's leaders and is among the best goalkeepers in Europe. Although I expect him to be out for three months, I hope he can return to fitness much faster than that and go on to show his best form at the FIFA World Cup in Germany."
Summer in Germany
Shovkovskiy has made almost 250 league appearances for Dynamo, but will definitely miss the start of the second half of the Ukrainian Premier League, which Dynamo lead by three points from FC Shakhtar Donetsk. The Kiev team have 31-year-old Olexandr Lutsenko and 18-year-old Olexandr Rybka as possible replacements. One consolation for Shovkovskiy, who has 64 international caps, is that he should be fully recovered for Ukraine's World Cup debut this summer, when they will play Spain, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia in Group H.
