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KIEV, Feb 28 - Ukraine are without their top
player Andriy Shevchenko for the World Cup warm-up against
Azerbaijan in Baku on Tuesday.
The AC Milan striker was allowed to miss the match which
coach Oleg Blokhin hopes will help him with decisions concerning
his squad for the World Cup in Germany.
"I am just testing the players. I want to see them in a
friendly match as we have not had everyone together for some
time," Blokhin said in an interview on Dynamo Kiev's official
website.
Ukraine meet Spain, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in Group H at
the World Cup which starts on June.
Local media said Blokhin believed Shevchenko's abilities
were beyond question and he was not strictly required in Baku.
Shevchenko was due to take part in a publicity event in Kiev
organised by a mobile phone company sponsoring the team.
Ukraine are also without two key players, goalkeeper
Oleksander Shovkovsky and midfielder Anatoly Tymoshchuyk, who
are both injured.
Players Blokhin will be taking particular notice of are
goalkeeper Bogdan Shust of Shakhtar Donetsk, midfielders Sergei
Serebrynanikov of Charleroi and Maxim Kalinichenko of Spartak
Moscow and defender Oleksander Kucher of Kharkiv Metallist,
Ukrainian media said.
Blokhin was concerned, however, that the poor state of the
Baku pitch might hinder his players.
"This is no pitch," he said. "It's nothing more than a
vegetable patch."