Serhiy Rebrov: "Czechia has an excellent squad with quality players across all positions"

13.10.2024 19:02

Ahead of the Nations League 2024/2025 match against Czechia, Ukraine's national team head coach Serhiy Rebrov held a press conference.

— What is the squad situation ahead of the game?

— Unfortunately, Dmytro Riznyk sustained an injury and has gone back to his club for rehabilitation. We called him up later, and we are grateful to him for coming and working well. I hope he returns to the national team quickly. There are some minor injuries, but I hope all players will be ready for tomorrow.

— Can we expect to see Rustam Khudzhamov in the match squad because of this?

— Unfortunately, we cannot call anyone up at this point because it’s too late, and we need to obtain a travel permit. I can say that Rustam is helping us in the training process.

— How ready is Taras Stepanenko to play? Does Ivan Kalyuzhnyi have enough energy, considering he worked hard on the pitch in the previous match?

— There is still a day for recovery. Taras is training with the main group. We will see tomorrow. Ivan still has time to recover. He has no injury. There was just fatigue at the end of the game, but nothing serious.

— How many Ukrainian fans do you think will come to the match tomorrow? Do you know how many Ukrainian fans are allowed to enter the stadium? Are you hoping for the same support you had in Prague a month ago?

— If the stadium is full, we will be very happy. Any game in Poland or Czechia is a celebration for the many Ukrainians here. We are grateful to everyone who comes to support us. Many want to come. I don’t know how many tickets have been sold, but I’m sure there will be a great atmosphere for both teams tomorrow.

— What has changed in the Czechia team in the past month?

— Nothing has changed. In the last game, the Czechs played with almost the same squad. This team has not changed much over the years. Yes, after losing the first match, they changed many players. Czechia has an excellent squad with quality players across all positions. We are preparing very seriously. We must respect our opponent but focus on our game.

— Ukraine did not start the Nations League very successfully. There were discussions about using these matches for player selection, with a focus on World Cup qualification. The situation in our group is quite different now. Has the approach to the Nations League changed?

— There are no changes. I never said we consider this tournament solely as preparation. Through it, we can qualify for the World Cup, so every game is important. But we need to give young players a chance, those who are proving themselves in Ukrainian and European leagues. We have called up enough players who are making their mark in the championship. Every match for the Ukrainian national team is a celebration, an event for the whole country. Therefore, we are preparing to win tomorrow and will do everything for that.

— Will you miss players like Andriy Yarmolenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who will not be able to help the team tomorrow?

— They are very important players for the national team. Unfortunately, they are currently injured. But if you saw the match against Georgia, the players who started and those who came on showed Ukrainian character and demonstrated that we want and can win. Unfortunately, we will be without the mentioned players tomorrow, but we have players who can replace them.

As a reminder, in October, Ukraine will play another match in Group B1 of the Nations League 2024/2025 — on the 14th, the Blue and Yellows will play against Czechia in a nominal home match at Tarczyński Arena in Wrocław.