Former player of the Ukrainian national team and Kryvbas, Oleksandr Palyanytsya, shared his impressions of the list of players announced by the head coach of our main team, Serhii Rebrov, for the final matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against France and Iceland, on November 13 and 16, respectively.
Andriy Yarmolenko«I was surprised by the absence of the long-time leader of the national team, Andriy Yarmolenko. The recent matches for Dynamo against Shakhtar showed that the veteran is in good physical shape and could have contributed in his usual midfield position, rather than at the front of the attack as it was at the club level.
Moreover, the Dynamo player is a recognized leader in the locker room, and such leaders are very much needed in the national team, especially since each of the upcoming matches will be like a final.
As for the newcomers, the appearance of Arseniy Batagov from Trabzonspor was expected. He has already been in the spotlight in the Turkish championship for the second season and deserves the call-up. Perhaps it is with his arrival that the center of our defense will stop being vulnerable,» said Palyanytsya.
