Shakhtar stung by double Brazilian absence

FC Shakhtar Donetsk have lost two important Brazilian players before the visit of Sporting Clube de Portugal in the UEFA Champions League next Wednesday.

Duo out
Defender Ilsinho, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Monday, has been ruled out till the end of the year after breaking a bone in his left foot. Meanwhile striker Luiz Adriano, 21, has had surgery to remove his appendix and will be back in action next month, with Shakhtar travelling to Sporting for the return fixture on 4 November.

Dead level
The two teams are dead level on three points in Group C after both lost to FC Barcelona but defeated FC Basel 1893 in the first two Matchdays. However, the absence of two regular starters is an extra blow for Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu, whose champions lie an unaccustomed tenth in the Ukrainian Premier League after ten rounds.