Ukraine's Squad for the Friendlies
Head coach Andrea Maldera has named a 26-man roster for Ukraine's upcoming exhibition games in May and June 2026. The squad features 14 players from the Ukrainian Premier League and 12 based abroad. These two away friendlies are scheduled for May 31 against Poland and June 7 against Denmark.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin and Dynamo Kyiv winger Andriy Yarmolenko have both returned to the national team setup. Two players are in line for potential debuts: defender Oleksandr Romanchuk of Universitatea Craiova and midfielder Hennadii Synchuk from CF Montréal. Shakhtar Donetsk leads all clubs with six representatives in the squad, followed by Dynamo Kyiv with five and Polissia Zhytomyr with three.
Full Roster Breakdown
Here is the complete list of goalkeepers called up:
- Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica)
- Andriy Lunin (Real Madrid)
- Dmytro Riznyk (Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Ruslan Neshcheret (Dynamo Kyiv)
Defenders selected for the squad:
- Illya Zabarnyi (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Mykola Matviienko
- Valeriy Bondar (both Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Taras Mykhavko (Dynamo Kyiv)
- Eduard Sarapiy (Polissia Zhytomyr)
- Vitaliy Mykolenko (Everton)
- Oleksandr Romanchuk (Universitatea Craiova)
Midfielders included in the lineup:
- Oleh Ocheretko
- Artem Bondarenko
- Yehor Nazaryna (all Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Oleksandr Nazarenko
- Oleksii Hutsuliak (both Polissia Zhytomyr)
- Mykola Shaparenko
- Andriy Yarmolenko (both Dynamo Kyiv)
- Yehor Yarmoliuk (Brentford)
- Heorhiy Sudakov (Benfica)
- Viktor Tsygankov (Girona)
- Hennadii Synchuk (CF Montréal)
- Ruslan Malinovskyi (Genoa)
Forwards named to the team:
- Roman Yaremchuk (Lyon)
- Matviy Ponomarenko (Dynamo Kyiv)
- Artem Dovbyk (Roma)
A reserve list has also been compiled, featuring these players:
- Volodymyr Brazhko (Dynamo Kyiv)
- Nazar Voloshyn (Dynamo Kyiv)
- Dmytro Kryskiv (Shakhtar Donetsk)
- Maksym Khlan (Górnik Zabrze)
- Ihor Krasnopir (Polissia Zhytomyr)
Andrea Maldera has signed a two-year contract to lead the Ukrainian national team. Notably, Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk received a four-year suspension handed down by the English Football Association; he filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport on February 26.
Ukraine's schedule for these upcoming friendlies is as follows: they will face Poland on May 31, 2026, and Denmark on June 7, 2026.
These matches serve as a critical phase in Ukraine's preparations for future international competitions. The return of seasoned players like Lunin and Yarmolenko, along with the chance to introduce new faces, highlights the coaching staff's push to strengthen the squad. With Mudryk sidelined, Maldera will need to find effective solutions to bolster the attack. Taking on strong opponents like Poland and Denmark will provide a valuable test of the team's readiness under high-pressure conditions.
As Ukraine prepares for its upcoming friendlies, the team is also keeping an eye on potential matchups, including a possible clash with Poland. Recent developments, such as the dismissal of coach Serhiy Rebrov and the unveiling of a new kit, add further intrigue to the upcoming fixtures. For more details on these changes and what they mean for the team, check out the full story here.