Ukraine trio axed from squad
Uncapped Bandura dropped from final partyLast Updated: May 29, 2012 3:03pm
Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin has finalised his 23-man squad for Euro 2012, axing goalkeeper Olexandr Bandura but retaining fellow uncapped shot-stopper Maxym Koval.The co-hosts are facing a goalkeeping crisis heading into the tournament, with first-choice Olexandr Shovkovsky ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Andrey Dykan suffered head and facial injuries in a Russian Premier League match, while Oleksandr Rybka was suspended for using a banned diuretic.
Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov, who has 24 caps, is therefore considered to be the first-choice custodian, while Metalist Kharkiv man Olexandr Horyainov and Dynamo Kiev's inexperienced teenager, Koval, have been named as cover.
DroppedBandura misses out along with defender Vitaly Mandzyuk and midfielder Taras Stepanenko as coach Blokhin cuts his initial 26-man party down to 23.
Ukraine, who are co-hosting the tournament with Poland, warmed up with a 4-0 friendly win over Estonia on Monday.
They will take on Austria in another friendly on Friday before finishing their preparations against Turkey on June 5th.
Blokhin's men open their Euro campaign against Sweden on June 11th, with England and France also in Group D.
Final Ukraine squad for Euro 2012:
Goalkeepers: Pyatov (Shakhtar Donetsk), Horyainov (FC Metalist Kharkiv), Koval (FC Dynamo Kiev).
Defenders: Kucher (Shakhtar Donetsk), Rakitskiy (Shakhtar Donetsk), Shevchuk (Shakhtar Donetsk), Khacheridi (Dynamo Kiev), Mykhalyk (Dynamo Kiev), Selin (Vorskla), Butko (Illichivets).
Midfielders: Aliev (Dynamo Kiev), Garmash (Dynamo Kiev), Gusiev (Dynamo Kiev), Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kiev), Konoplyanka (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Rotan (Dnipro), Nazarenko (Tavriya), Tymoshchuk (Bayern Munich).
Forwards: Milevskiy (Dynamo Kiev), Shevchenko (Dynamo Kiev), Devic (FC Metalist Kharkiv), Voronin (Dynamo Moscow), Seleznyov (Shakhtar Donetsk).