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28 March 2024

Shevchenko '50-50' for England game

Published
By AFP

Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin revealed on Monday that talisman and captain Andrei Shevchenko has only a "50-50" chance of being fit for their crucial Euro 2012 match with England on Tuesday.

Shevchenko injured his knee in Friday's 2-0 loss to France and although he trained with the squad on Monday, Blokhin said he might not be able to take his place in the starting line-up for Ukraine's final Group D game.

"After the game against France, Shevchenko had an injury to his knee and we are doing everything possible to prepare him for the game," Blokhin said during his pre-game press conference at Donetsk's Donbass Arena.

"It's very hard to say (if he will play). I'm not a sorcerer. You should ask the team doctor. We have 24 hours. I say it's 50-50.

"I can't really think about whether he will play or not. The decision will be made before dinner tomorrow (Tuesday)."

Co-hosts Ukraine must win against England to stand any chance of reaching the quarter-finals, while a draw will suffice for England.

With Shevchenko having announced that he will retire from international football after the tournament, Tuesday's game in Donetsk could be the last time he appears in the colours of his national side.

As a result, the pre-game press conference was dominated by questions about the 35-year-old, who claimed a match-winning brace in Ukraine's opening 2-1 win over Sweden in Kiev.

Such was the interest in Shevchenko's fitness levels that Blokhin lost his patience, prompting UEFA media officer Frits Ahlstrom to ban any further questions from being asked about the former AC Milan and Chelsea forward.

"I feel like this press conference is all about Sheva," complained the Ukraine coach. "Should we call him up and ask him what he thinks? I don't only have Sheva in my team.

"I feel like all I do is talk about him and his private life. I have 22 other players in my team - let's talk about them."

Tuesday's game will see Wayne Rooney make his England return after a two-game suspension and Blokhin laughed off suggestions that his comeback presented England coach Roy Hodgson with a selection headache.

"If I had a headache like Hodgson, it would be very nice for me," he said.

"Rooney, (Danny) Welbeck or (Andy) Carroll? Every coach would like a headache like that."

Blokhin also gave short shrift to suggestions England's injury-plagued preparations to the tournament mean they should be dismissed as serious contenders for the Henri Delaunay trophy.

"England are a good team," he said. "Everyone says that they're tired but I can't see that. They have their own style of playing and I think they're doing everything that they've planned.

"But they have problems, too. If they lose tomorrow (Tuesday), it'll be very unexpected. They're supposed to be a very strong team.

"It's not the same for us. They will be more nervous. We have nothing to lose, but England are expecting to reach the final."

Blokhin predicted that the fans at Donbass Arena would be like a '12th man' for his side but called on his players to show more desire than in their 2-0 reverse against the French.

"We should show our way of playing, with speed and with fight," he said.

"What we did in the first game (against Sweden) was right. We didn't play the second game at this level.

"We didn't lack emotion against Sweden. We had lots of emotion. Against France, we didn't have enough."