Shakhtar hope to shake off worries

FC Shakhtar Donetsk have never failed to make progress in their three previous UEFA Futsal Cup entries and last season reached the semi-finals for the first time, losing only to eventual winners Interviú Boomerang. However, as they prepare to begin their 2006/07 campaign in the Main round not everything has gone their way this term.

Key men missing
First, one of the key players of recent years Ramis Mansurov was sacked from the club for disciplinary reasons. And then prolific goalscorer Igor Moskvychov suffered a broken leg that means a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Also currently ruled out through injury is Ukrainian international Fedir Pylypiv, while new signings Dmitriy Klochko and Oleksandr Yurkov are still settling in and Oleksandr Kondratyuk is yet to find his form this season. Hardly ideal timing for Oleg Solodovnyk ahead of their European fixtures.

Form improving
Shakhtar's Group 5 campaign in Hungary begins on Tuesday against Moldovan preliminary round winners Toligma Chisinau, before meetings with FC Raba of Latvia a day later and home team Futsal Club Gödöllö on Friday, with two Elite round places on offer. In the Ukrainian League form has been improving -Shakhtar, who dropped only five points in 32 games last season, were held 5-5 in their opener at Uragan Ivano-Frankovsk but have since won four games, although they trail Energy Lvov.

Depleted resources
However with three games in four days, Solodovnyk is worried about the resources he has at hand. "We have just one outfield four at the moment," he said. "[Yevgen] Yunakov, [Serhiy] Sytin, [Serhiy] Zadorozhniy and Kondratyuk who is not at his best. There is no second four as Moskvychov is out with a fracture and Mansurov has been dismissed. So we have to achieve the results with the men we have. Whichever side we have and wherever we go we have only one task - to get three points from any game. We want to make it to the Elite round."