Yarmolenko, Konoplyanka key in Ukraine Euro 2016 squad

Kiev (AFP) – Ukraine coach Mykhaylo Fomenko on Thursday announced a provisional 28-man squad for Euro 2016, led by Dynamo Kiev forward Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevgen Konoplyanka who starred in Sevilla’s Europa League triumph.

The 67-year-old coach will have to trim his squad to 23 players by the end of the month.

In a confusing twist, Ukraine’s football federation published a squad that slightly differed from that announced by Fomenko.

When contacted by AFP, the federation could not explain why the roster published on its website did not correspond to that unveiled by the manager.

Yarmolenko and Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Taras Stepanenko appeared alongside Fomenko at Thursday’s  press conference three weeks after the national squad teammates were involved in a scuffle on the pitch in a 3-0 Shakhtar victory over Dynamo.

Yarmolenko kicked Stepanenko after the Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder celebrated a goal during his team’s win against the Ukrainian flagship side.

“I have apologised,” Yarmolenko said. “I am guilty and I hope that Taras will accept to shake my hand so we can prepare for the Euro in peace.”

Stepanenko, who said after the incident that his friendship with Yarmolenko “is over,” said that the dispute “should be considered to be resolved.”

Ukraine will be competing in their second European Championship in Group C alongside Germany, Poland and Northern Ireland.

Ukraine will play friendly matches against Romania on May 29 and Albania on June 3 to prepare for the tournament.

Provisional squad:

Goalkeepers: Andriy Pyatov (Shakhtar Donetsk), Denys Boyko (Besiktas/TUR), Mykyta Shevchenko (Zorya Lugansk)

Defenders: Vyacheslav Shevchuk, Yaroslav Rakitskyi, Oleksandr Kucher (all Shakhtar Donetsk), Yevgen Khacheridi (Dynamo Kiev), Artem Fedetskyi (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Mykyta Kamenyuka (Zorya Lugansk), Bogdan Butko (Amkar Perm/RUS)

Midfielders: Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Kairat/KAZ), Taras Stepanenko, Viktor Kovalenko, Maksym Malyshev (all Shakhtar Donetsk), Ruslan Rotan, Yevgen Shakhov (both Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Yevgen Konoplyanka (Sevilla/SPA), Oleg Gusyev, Sergiy Rybalka, Denys Garmash, Sergiy Sydorchuk, Andriy Yarmolenko (all Dynamo Kiev), Oleksandr Karavayev, Ivan Petryak (both Zorya Lugansk), Oleksandr Zinchenko (Ufa/RUS)

Strikers: Roman Zozulya (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Artem Kravets (Stuttgart/GER), Pylyp Budkivskyi (Zorya Lugansk)

Reserves: Artem Gordiyenko (Zorya Lugansk), Ivan Ordets (Shakhtar Donetsk), Vitaliy Buyalskyi (Dynamo Kiev), Artem Putivtsev (Termalica/POL)