World Cup
Nikolai MATVIENKO: “I rate the team’s performance in the World Cup qualifiers as C”
Now Shakhtar’s training camp in Türkiye is gaining momentum. Team captain despite the intense work schedule Nikolay Matvienko took the time to give the site an exclusive interview Spor.ua.
In this interview, readers will learn who Shakhtar’s main rivals will be in the fight for the championship gold medal, what keywords Arda Turan says to his players, how far the Pitmen can go in the Conference League and, of course, what are the chances of the Ukrainian national team to advance to the World Cup.
– Nikolay, how would you evaluate your team’s performance in the first half of the season?
– In short, it could have been better (smiles). It depends on which side you look at it from. We now share first place with LNZ. Reached the Conference League play-offs. But on the other hand, they lost valuable points in the UPL and were eliminated from the Ukrainian Cup. Shakhtar’s goals are much higher.
– Before the season started, Arda Turan was the manager of your team. Did you know much about him as a football player?
– Of course I knew. This is a legend of European football. It is enough to say that he played for teams such as Galatasaray, Atletico and Barcelona. He played 100 times for the Turkish national team. This is a solid indicator. Moreover, I also knew Arda as a coach, because before moving to Shakhtar, he was the head coach of Eyüpspor, where Taras Stepanenko played. He talked a lot about Turan. I can definitely say that he is a great coach and an equally great person.
– Arda Turan is always emotional during matches…
– Because the mentor is completely in the game. He’s always on point, he’s an authority for us and he always supports his players. Even outside the football field. I had to contact a mentor more than once. The gentleman always says that he is always ready to help in case of problems.
– What keywords does the coach say to his players?
– Brazilian technique is good, but he always focuses on the fact that he wants to see aggressive football, where his team competes and everyone supports each other.
– Do any of the assistant coaches work with the defenders?
– There is no such thing specifically. But they probably have their own communications, who is more responsible to whom. However, it is very rare for us that defenders work separately.
– Are the players’ requirements significantly different from, for example, the requirements under Marino Pusic?
– Of course, there are some details, but there is little new that can be invented in modern football. Shakhtar has its own philosophy, which we always try to adhere to. Yes, every coach tries to bring something different, but the strategy does not change.
– How do foreign coaches and football players adapt to our realities when there is war in Ukraine?
“They probably worry like ordinary people when there is bombardment, but when they come here they understand what’s going on here.” This is their conscious choice. And they are also wonderful, true professionals.
– Is it strange for you that LNZ can offer such serious competition to Shakhtar?
– To be honest, few people expected to see the Cherkassy team at the top of the standings. But LNZ are great, they showed their potential and are well prepared physically. So it will be interesting in the spring.
– Historically, Shakhtar’s main rival is Dinamo. Did things become easier when the people of Kyiv began to stumble?
– Of course, it will be easier for us if our opponents lose points, this is a fact. However, now our championship has stabilized a little, so Shakhtar’s rival today is not just Dinamo. Every game is difficult in its own way. “Polesie”, “Kolos”, “Krivbass”, “Karpaty”, all competitors have their own plans. Our job was definitely not easy in the first half of the season.
– Is the 9-point difference between them and Dynamo a serious handicap for the Kievans?
– Yes, that’s a good tip, but Dynamo is Dynamo. This is a big club. They always set the same goals as Shakhtar; Winning every match and every tournament. I have no doubt that Dinamo will fight until the end in the second part of the championship. We certainly do not underestimate this opponent.
– So who will be Shakhtar’s main rival in the fight for the championship gold medal after the winter break?
– Our main rival is the next rival. Your victory over LNZ will not cost anything if you lose later, for example, to Poltava. Shakhtar’s goal is to win every round. Then it is guaranteed that we will become champions.
– By the way, did the LNZ match, in which Shakhtar lost with a score of 1:4, show the Pitmen’s worst performance?
– Yes. I would also like to mention the Conference League group round match against Legia.
– Actually, the match against the Poles should not have resulted in Shakhtar’s defeat.
– During the season, every team has ups and downs in the game, especially psychologically and physically. This was the period that coincided with our matches against LNZ and Legia. The Cherkassy team beat us on merit. There’s nothing else to add here. My subjective perspective is that we were powerless at that time. Maybe it’s because we started the season early and fatigue has accumulated somewhere.
– Which match of Shakhtar did you like?
– We have two matches to play against Beşiktaş in the Europa League qualifiers. And there were factors here. We prepared well in the training camp, the championship had not started yet, we did not need to travel much by bus, which is a serious factor in preparation for the competitions.
– Almost all experts unanimously say that Shakhtar is still looking for its best game, as the team is led by a new coach. What percent power do you think the Pitmen have right now?
– I won’t say the percentage, but I can definitely say there is potential. We have a lot of young players, especially attacking the Brazilians. Therefore, they can still add and add due to proper growth.
-What can you say about Shakhtar’s current European Cup campaign? After the matches against the same Besiktas, everyone was sure that the Donetsk team would not be able to escape from the Europa League group stage.
– I think we were a little unlucky in the match against Panathinaikos in the third qualifying round. This applies to the application of scoring chances. Additionally, some of our important players left the team due to injuries. One thing superimposed on another, hence the decided outcome in the football lottery.
– You mentioned injuries. Alisson was one of those taken to the infirmary. Do you support the idea that this Brazilian winger was the Pitmen’s best at the start of the season?
– I really liked the way he started the season. After all, Shakhtar doesn’t just buy football players. The player’s data is studied and then a conclusion is made about how useful this or that player will be for the team. In the Alisson case, everything came together. It’s just that every football player needs his own time to fully adapt to a new team.
– They now expect almost maximum results from Shakhtar in the Conference League. Is this possible?
– We believe in this. So why go out into the field? We also believe and will do our best to win the gold medal in the championship. In European competitions, everything needs to be done gradually and gradually move towards your goal, which is to reach at least the final of the tournament.
– At 1/8 Shakhtar has four potential rivals: KuPS, Shkendija, Lech and Samsunspor. Who wouldn’t you want to meet on the road?
– It’s hard to say. Probably with Polish Lech. They looked good in the group stage of the Conference League and the team is among the leaders in the championship, despite the eighth place. There is serious density there. Although I am sure that each of the future opponents poses a danger. You need to prepare very carefully for 1/8 matches because any mistake in the elimination matches can be fatal.
– Of course, as the captain, I cannot help but ask you about the Ukrainian national team that made it to the play-offs in the 2026 World Cup. What can you say about the future rival of the blue-yellows, the Swedish national team?
– In my opinion, this is the strongest team we can get. Right now everyone is focusing on the Swedes’ situation. But our meeting will take place in two months. Everything can change. Sweden has a very strong squad and many of their players represent elite European clubs. They, like us, set the goal of getting to the World Championship, so a very tough challenge awaits us.
For me, the poor performance of the Swedes in the qualifying tournament means nothing. Every team can do their best in a match, even if it is an outsider, and Sweden is one of the strong European teams, that’s for sure. For the Ukrainian national team, this will be a match of life, like all previous matches. After all, we understand that a war is going on in the country and every victory, even on the sports front, brings joy to Ukrainians in such a difficult period.
– But during the qualifying tournament, the Ukrainian team received a considerable amount of criticism?
– This is the job of experts and journalists. But I can say this; We never score when we go on the field. There is no point in saying that we are walking on the football field or that we do not want to win.
– It is difficult to consider the away match against Azerbaijan as a win for our team.
– From the outside it may seem like we have no desire to win. When a team enters the field, the task is not just to crush someone. The opponent is being studied, there is a strategy for the match. However, when the opponent closes down, there is no place to escape. We tried to move the ball quickly, looking for spaces where we could pass the ball, because the Azerbaijanis defended as a whole team again. Not as an excuse, I will say that the quality of the pitch in Baku did not allow us to bowl the ball quickly, so it looked like we were doing everything slowly. This is exactly what the opponent played. We really wanted to win. This doesn’t happen often in football, but it does happen. Yes, we scored a goal, but we should never forget that the opponent was trying to do his best. They held on throughout the game and managed to come forward in one of their rare counter-attacks.
I can also give an example from Shakhtar’s match against Swiss Servette in the Conference League qualifiers. We had a game plan but it rained so much we couldn’t see anything, the ball didn’t get rolling and the whole strategy fell apart, we had to come up with something on the fly. It’s a good thing that we managed to score the winning goal in extra time and not lead to a series of penalty shoot-outs again.
– How would you evaluate the performance of the Ukrainian national team in the qualifying tournament using the five-point system?
– I think that’s three. If we had beaten Azerbaijan, we would have been four people and there would have been five wins in the group (smiles).
– You participated in two European Championships. Isn’t it time to go to the World Championship?
– I really want to make one of my football dreams come true. May God grant everything goes well.
– You have won many trophies in your career. Is there another summit you dream of?
– Just to play in the World Championship, that’s one of them.
Source: Sport UA
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
In March, the national team awaits the 2026 World Cup play-offs. And when you see the situation of the main players, it becomes scary.
Alexander Zinchenko. He is going through the worst period of his career in England. Neither Nottingham nor Arsenal need him. Halfway through the season, Zina receives treatment or regains her old form. Forest removed the Ukrainian from their Europa League candidacy. If Zinchenko doesn’t do game training, even being called up to the national team may not mean anything. Ajax should be a good option in this context.
Artem Dovbik. There is no need for Gasperini. Roma have already announced that the attack will be strengthened in the person of Aston Villa’s Donyell Mullen and have signed 18-year-old Robinio Vaz from Marseille for the future. Most likely, Dovbik could not withstand the loads of the head coach of the Romans, as he began to get injured too often. “Wolves” want to sell Artem, want to leave. As in the case of Zinchenko, Dovbik also needs a club where he can play regularly in the first team and remember to score goals together. True, unlike Alexander, Artem is now still capable of playing in the best club and in the best championship, if the team’s game model suits him. However, Artem has already had surgery in Finland. And – one way or another – Dovbik will be out of action for several months.
Alexey Gutsulyak. The best player of the “goal + pass” system in the national team in 2025 was sent to the U-19 team by Polesye because he did not sign a new contract under the club conditions. The winger was also initially excluded from the training camp, but the club president later changed his decision. If there is no one willing to buy Alexei before the end of the transfer window, he will remain in limbo until the end of the season.
Efim Hemp. I would like to believe that Gutsulyak’s fate will not befall the right. Efim has refused to renew his contract with Shakhtar, which could affect his number of minutes on the field. After all, Arda Turan now has the option of playing more in the Cannabis position with Vinicius Tobias, Pedro Enrique or someone with a Ukrainian passport.
Georgy Sudakov. Mourinho’s arrival did not promise anything good for the midfielder. Jose has long exhausted himself as a coach capable of leading a team to the title, so it is no surprise that Benfica finished 3rd in the championship. But this is not the only problem. Sudakov is at his best in the middle of the field or as an attacking midfielder. What did the Special One do? Exactly what Rebrov was criticized for was that he moved Georgiy to the winger position, which did not allow him to show his best qualities.
Ilya Zabarny. He was the main player at Bournemouth who had no centre-back alternative. At PSG, the Marquinhos-Pacho combination looks unshakable. Zabarny is third choice and given the team’s exit from the French Cup, Ilya is unlikely to get any more match training in the coming months. Especially if the Parisians go directly to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League. As the last match against Lille showed (3:0) Luis Enrique can use a formation consisting of three defenders (Marquinhos, Pacho, Zabarny) if the team needs to switch to a more attacking style. We must also hope that the recent criticism of the Ukrainian footballer from PSG fans after the defeat (0:1) in the capital cup derby will not affect Ilya in any way.
Vladimir Brazhko. He lost his game plan after a transfer to Wolverhampton fell through. It seems that Brazhko is a reflection of the entire Dynamo, which did not even reach the play-offs of the Conference League, and this can definitely be considered a shame. Vladimir, who was the top choice for the defensive midfield position just a year and a half ago, now looks like he won’t be able to beat Ivan Kalyuzhny’s rival. Here you can add other Dynamo players (Shaparenko, Mikhavko, Voloshin, Karavaev, Timchik, Pikhalyonok), whose form now raises many questions.
Roman Yaremchuk. He has played just 5 times for Olympiacos this season, making 10 appearances as a substitute. Only 4 goals, but all in the Greek Cup. Not a single goal was scored in the Super League and Champions League. There are no prerequisites yet that anything will change for the striker in the near future.
Andrey Lunin. In the autumn, the goalkeeper did not want to come to the national team and watch the matches from the bench, but now the question arises: “Is it worth calling him?” 3 matches per season, 2 of them in the Copa del Rey, where Real was eliminated. Lunin is sorely lacking in consistent game practice. He’s certainly not better than Trubin, and perhaps even picking Riznyk second would be more justified.
Alexander Svatok. Austin finished its MLS season in the fall. The new campaign only starts at the end of February. Whether this will prevent the defender from achieving ideal fitness and getting into the right rhythm of the game is an open question.
Mikhail Mudrik. As long as the sun shines and the water flows, there is hope. The chorus of a famous Ukrainian song performed by the band Mad Heads perfectly describes the winger’s situation. If Mikhail returns to football this winter, a real miracle will happen; He will be conditionally loaned to Strasbourg, where he will gain favorable playing conditions within 2 months. It would be nice if he was the national team leader, but we should definitely not hope for his return.
So what, or rather whom, should we hope for? There are very few such players, but they exist. Now all the hope is that Trubin, Zubkov, Malinovsky, Tsygankov, Vanat, Yarmolyuk and possibly Batagov will not lose their current form and get damaged in the next two months. This picture is definitely not reassuring, on the contrary it points to the potential to buy validol in bulk. Especially if we remember that Sergei Rebrov has not yet assured anyone that he can lead the country’s main team to the World Cup.
Igor YAVKIN
Source: Sport UA
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
Forward of the Ukraine national football team and Roma Artem Dovbik He announced on his Instagram account that he had surgery on his hip:
“Injuries are part of the game. I’m focused on healing and getting back on the field stronger. Thank you for your support, it means a lot to me.”
Silence. Work. Return. See you soon.”
Artem Dovbik played 17 matches at club level in the 2025/26 season and scored 3 goals and 2 assists. The Transfermarkt portal estimates his value at 20 million euros.
Previously, Rome had decided on Artem Dovbik.
PHOTOGRAPH. Dovbik had surgery
Check out this post on Instagram
Source: Sport UA
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
This summer, the 23rd FIFA World Cup finals will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. All professional football players, without exception, dream of playing in this tournament, from stars such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to players whose names are not well known to the public (perhaps only for now).
However, some star and very famous football players are at risk of missing the next World Cup. The reason for this is health problems…
Joshko Guardiol
Age: 23 years old
Citizenship: Croatia
Club: Manchester City
Joschko Guardiol, the key defender of Manchester City, who has been playing for the “citizens” since the summer of 2023, suffered a serious injury recently – in the match against Chelsea in early January 2026, which ended with a score of 1: 1. As a result of the medical examination, a fracture was detected in the fibula bone of Guardiola’s right leg. Manchester City doctors immediately announced to the technical staff and club management that they could no longer trust the Croatian player at the end of this season. Yoshko’s estimated recovery time is approximately four months. However, this is the most favorable prognosis as recovery may take five or six months.
Theoretically, if Guardiol returns from hospital towards the end of May, he will have the chance to be included in the Croatian national team at the 2026 World Cup. Of course, the centre-back will have to go abroad without training and far from the best conditions, but… Without Josko, the Croatian national team will definitely lose a lot, because by the age of 23 Guardiola had already made 46 appearances and scored 4 goals for the “checkers”.
Takumi Minamino
Age: 30 years old
Citizenship: Japan
Club: Monaco
Takumi Minamino may not be a world football star, but he can certainly have such status in his native Japan. In the past, the winger had a two-and-a-half-year contract at Liverpool, but Takumi never managed to become a key figure for the Reds. As a result, Minamino has been playing in France since the summer of 2022 for Monaco, which paid a large sum of 15 million euros to the British for his transfer.
In Monaco, Minamino is constantly a key player, but on December 21 last year, in the 5th round match of the French Cup against Auxerre (2:1), the Japanese midfielder was injured, and then doctors determined that it was a rupture of the cruciate ligament in the knee. The normal recovery time in such cases is 6-9 months, effectively ending Takumi’s hopes of playing in the 2026 World Cup. It will be a real miracle if the midfielder, who played 73 times for Japan and helped the Blue Samurai defeat Brazil 3-2 in a friendly match in October, continues to take part in the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Muhammed Salisu
Age: 26 years old
Citizenship: Ghana
Club: Monaco
Mohammed Salisu, Minamino’s teammate and one of the strongest players in the current Ghana national team, also risks not being able to play in the 2026 World Cup. The former football player from Southampton, for whom Monaco paid 15 million euros in August 2023, was injured in early January this year and it is very possible that he will not be able to go to the USA, Canada and Mexico as a player for the national team.
Doctors diagnosed Salisu with a cruciate ligament tear in his knee. In theory, this could mean that Muhammad will miss slightly less than he would with a rupture… But in the near future, Salis will need to undergo several additional examinations that will help determine the severity of his injury and what treatment would be more appropriate to choose. And there is a risk here that further examination will reveal that the African has more serious injuries than currently expected. Then he will definitely not be able to play in the 2026 World Cup, but so far doctors have not specified a specific time frame for recovery. It is clear that we are talking about months, not days or weeks…
Andreas Christensen
Age: 29 years old
Citizenship: Denmark
Club: barcelona
The Danish national team has not yet qualified for the 2026 World Cup. In March, this team will first have to play against North Macedonia and, if successful, in the play-offs against the winner of the Czech Republic-Ireland double. However, the Danes are seen as the favorites by many, but they will definitely have to earn a ticket to the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico without key defender Andreas Christensen.
The 29-year-old Barcelona defender, who lost his role as an important figure in the Blaugranas in recent years largely due to frequent health problems, suffered a partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at the end of December last year and preferred a conservative treatment method. This in theory leaves Denmark with a better chance of continuing to play at the 2026 World Cup in the summer if they manage to qualify.
Eder Militao
Age: 27 years old
Citizenship: Brazil
Club: Real
On December 8, 2025, it was learned that Eder Militao, the defender of Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team, was injured. It was related to a muscle tear in his left thigh, which resulted in doctors deciding it would take around four months for the Brazilian player to fully recover. In fact, we should see Militao on the football fields at the beginning of April, two months before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
It would seem, what is the risk of Eder missing the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico? The problem is that Militao has literally become “glass” in recent years. It haunts injury after injury. Muscle injuries and cruciate ligament problems in the knee have almost become a “chronic” for the Brazilian defender; Therefore, no one has confidence in Militao’s real playing conditions and abilities to go to North America in the summer. It is worth noting that Eder played four matches for the Selecao in the 2022 World Cup; two in the group stage, 1/8 against South Korea in the final (4:1) and 1/4 against Croatia in the final (1:1, 2:4 – on penalties).
Justin Kluivert
Age: 26 years old
Citizenship: Holland
Club: Bournemouth
Bournemouth and Netherlands midfielder Justin Kluivert, the son of legendary former Orange forward Patrick Kluivert, may also join the sadness of those who will miss the final part of the 2026 World Cup due to health problems. Justin had surgery on his problematic knee on January 4 and now doctors will try to get him back on his feet as soon as possible so that Kluivert can continue to be useful to both Bournemouth and the Dutch national team.
Predictions so far are that Justin will return by April. This will allow the football player to realize his dream and play in the World Cup, especially since Justin took part in six matches and made one assist. But you can think as far ahead as you want and, more importantly, how Kluivert’s recovery process will actually progress after he missed a total of two calendar months last year due to various injuries and health problems…
Levi Colwill
Age: 22 years old
Citizenship: England
Club: Chelsea
Young defender Levi Colwill was seen by many observers as one of the key figures in the process of rejuvenating the England national team squad. Colwill made his debut in the “three lions” camp in October 2023 and was expected to go to the 2026 World Cup as he was the best player for his hometown Chelsea last year and is currently valued at up to 50 million euros on the Transfermarkt portal, but…
In August 2025, Levi tore his “crucifixes”, so he was away from football for a long time. Latest predictions suggest Colwill’s recovery is expected in late May or early June, making it extremely unlikely that this will contribute to the Chelsea center being recalled to the England squad for the 2026 World Cup. In the end, Thomas Tuchel in the USA, Canada and Mexico will need the most prepared football players who can finally seriously compete for the championship and are not limited to elimination at an early stage or a brave fight almost to the end, but without winning the cup. We would like to remind you that Football England was waiting for its second championship because it won its first and first in the 1966 World Cup.
Source: Sport UA
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
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