The head coach of the Ukraine national team, Oleksandr Petrakov, appeared at a press conference after the home match against Ireland (1:1) in the Nations League.

— Why did you make only three substitutions?

— We also had players who got sick. It was difficult to come on as a substitute after such a game. This is my decision as the head coach.

— Why didn't you start Viktor Tsygankov in the starting lineup?

— He played four matches. I didn't put him out because for me, the first thing is to preserve the health of our players. Plus, it was very difficult to come on as a substitute after such a game.

— The next match for Ukraine's national team will take place on September 21st. Do you expect many players to change clubs over the summer?

— When a player comes to me for advice, I tell him my opinion. But I don't interfere in such matters. Where to play — that's up to the players themselves. They will call me. For example, I talked about this with Andriy Yarmolenko. He said he would call as soon as he makes a club decision. Besides, summer isn't so long. We don't know when the Premier League will start or what the situation will be at Shakhtar and Dynamo. Right now, I can't say where anyone will be.

— Are you disappointed with the defense's actions during the conceded goal?

— Yes, I am disappointed that it happened this way. The opponent's defender ran from midfield and scored. But I never analyze such moments after a game. You need to sleep on it and give an assessment with a clear head.

— What is your personal stance on the continuation of the Ukrainian championship?

— I wasn't here for one and a half months. I can't talk about this now. This should be done by club presidents, the Premier League. We have very knowledgeable experts who will weigh everything. I think they will make a good decision.

— How serious is Ruslan Malinovskiy's injury?

— It's not a severe injury, soft tissue damage, and a bruised pubic bone. With Mykola Matviyenko as well, nothing too bad, I think about five days for recovery. They will all go on vacation to their families, rest, so everyone will be healthy.

— Are you traveling tomorrow to arrange visas before upcoming matches against Scotland? Will there be new names in the squad?

— There won't be any new names right now. So many people have already made their debuts. I thought you would say the opposite, that there are enough debutants... You understand, we don't have a British embassy here anymore, so this needs to be done in Warsaw. Tomorrow one group leaves at 7:30 AM and another at 9:30 AM for visa processing. This is all complicated. We don't know when the championship will start, but there's a match on September 21st against Scotland. We'll need to travel by bus to Poland, fly to Glasgow, then there's a game in Yerevan on the 24th and another one in Poland on the 27th. I want to thank Lodz, this is a special city in my life. Thank you Poland for your hospitality and support. Maybe we'll see each other again.