Dynamo Kyiv manager Oleksandr Shovkovskyi and player Andriy Yarmolenko have been speaking to the press ahead of the Crystal Palace game.
Thursday night sees Crystal Palace play Ukrainian outfit Dynamo Kyiv in the Conference League, in what is their first European competition since the Intertoto Cup in 1998.
And Oliver Glasner takes his side into the game in Poland in fine form after Crystal Palace beat Liverpool 2-1 in their last outing in the Premier League.
It leaves the Eagles in 3rd place of the table. But Glasner will want to make sure he shares attentions between a strong Premier League finish and a good run in the Conference League too.
Dynamo Kyiv boss bemoans injuries ahead of Crystal Palace
As quoted by the Dynamo Kyiv official website, manager Oleksandr Shovkovskyi hailed Crystal Palace’s form and their style of play under Glasner. He said: “We clearly understand the kind of opponent we’re going to play against, the league Crystal Palace competes in, the form they’re currently in and their achievements in recent months.
“We’ve spent a lot of time analysing Crystal Palace – we see their excellent organization, discipline, quick attacks and very dangerous set-pieces.”
So too did former West Ham man Andriy Yarmolenko who’s now playing for Dynamo: “We know who we’re going to play against. Of course, Crystal Palace play quality and aggressive football. We’ve watched many of their matches and we know their strengths.”
But Shovkovskyi also revealed he has an issue ahead of the Palace game. He remains without a number of first-team players through injury, as he said: “Unfortunately we cannot count on all players. Those who missed the match against Karpaty are still recovering and that is a problem for us.”
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Who is injured for Crystal Palace right now?
Palace are quite fortunate on the injury front with an almost fully fit squad to choose from ahead of the game against Dynamo.
The likes of Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad, and Caleb Kporha are sidelined but the Eagles received an injury boost ahead of the game on Thursday, with Walter Benitez returning to training after a dislocated finger.
As ever, don’t expect too many changes from Glasner. But why would he change anything right now with Palace in red hot form and looking to extend their 18-game unbeaten run with a big game on the European stage.
With Dynamo startled by injuries, Crystal Palace should look to take full advantage and kickstart their Conference League campaign with a big win.
