LONDON - Ukraine are facing a major injury crisis ahead of their friendly against Germany in Kyiv on Friday.
Ukraine manager Oleg Blokhin only has 14 players fully fit after 10 members of his squad, including captain Andriy Shevchenko, picked up injuries in training over the last week.
"We have to deal with an unexpected situation which you do not depend on a manager — 10 people are out of our squad," Blokhin said.
"Maybe we will add some players but I do not want to call up people only for the quantity.
"If we decide to stay with 14 players, we will just make three substitutions instead of five or six."
Shevchenko is a big doubt as the 35-year-old striker is suffering from chronic back pain.
Centre-backs Taras Mykhalyk, Eugene Khacheridi and Dmytro Chygrynskiy have all been ruled out for two weeks with injury-plagued goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy, 36, also in the treatment room.
In-form Dynamo Moscow striker Andriy Voronin is sidelined as well as midfielders Olexandr Aliev, Denis Garmash, Olexiy Gay and Oleg Gusev.
The friendly will be the first game for Ukraine at the newly renovated Olympiyskiy stadium, which will be used for the final of the Euro 2012 tournament.
Despite concerns it would not be ready in time, the stadium was officially opened on Oct 8.
Ukraine host Austria in a friendly on Nov. 15.
