Shovkovskyy, Fedoriv, Rodrigo, Mandzyuk, Mykhalyk, Yussuf, Corrêa, Rebrov, Michael, Kléber. Such is the possible squad that could make up the lineup for Dynamo’s next match vs. Chornomorets Odesa. The squad that consists of the experienced and youngsters ready to vie for the Ukrainian champions title and UEFA Champions League points. The squad that is abundant in internals of various countries. The squad that is worth dozen millions of US dollars at the transfer market.
Oleh Luzhnyy has been recently deprived of any choice. With traditionally numerous reserves players available, the acting head coach is having tough times when scraping up 18 players. This was the case, for instance, in the last weekend’s encounter vs. Arsenal Kyiv when Ninković got a last-minute fever. It is not players’ fitness and tactics chosen for the game that are crucial factors any longer. It is a matter of being injured or the luck of avoiding this. Not surprisingly, the young mentor keeps saying postmatch: “I line up those capable to move”.
Luzhnyy is far not the first soccer guide man to face a problem of the kind. Delve in the newspaper archives and you will find that Mykhaylychenko, Szabó and Demyanenko all went through the mishaps. The stats are no consoling: nearly one third of the team takes a premature sick leave before the winter break, with this factor probably contributing to Dynamo’s failures over the past years.
Those knowing the club life inside and out are not unanimous when stating their reasons of having perpetually an overcrowded treatment room. Some point out the specific training system and overloaded training sessions at the pre-season preparation. Others remind football is a contact game, with the number of matches escalating every year. On the other hand, the injury level in the Kyiv club is much higher than that, say, of the archrival FC Shakhtar Donetsk.
Hopefully, changes are to come in the near future. Changes for the better. Reinvented Dynamo Sports Research Center and the recently appointed fitness coach are meant to sort out the problem. A new head coach should not underestimate the issue as well. Otherwise Dynamo will prove their own mistakes do not teach hem a lesson.
