Shevchenko injury compromises Ukraine's chances-Blokhin

KIEV, May 17 (Reuters) Coach Oleg Blokhin says Ukraine's World Cup prospects are being compromised by a wave of injuries in their defence and to striker Andriy Shevchenko.

Blokhin, addressing a news conference two days after naming his side for the finals in Germany, said Ukraine's initial injured problems had centred on their goalkeepers.

The focus had switched after injuries to AC Milan's Shevchenko, defender Serhiy Fyodorov and forward Andriy Vorobei. He hoped training camps in Turkey and Switzerland and a series of friendly matches would help the team gel.

''Unfortunately, the mood at the moment is not terribly good. In the qualifying games we had only one or two injured players but now we are beginning to feel the impact,'' he said.

''Things in the forward line and in midfield are more or less all right, but we have serious problems with the defenders. We will practically have to build our defence from the ground up.

''For three years we have been unable to solve the problem at right back. We have too few candidates to draw on.'' Blokhin gave no details of the injury to Fyodorov but, if he is not fit, he will be replaced by Dmitri Chigrinsky from Shakhtar Donetsk.

''And we are naturally very worried about Shevchenko. Andriy now is having a two-week break after which he will be able to start training again,'' Blokhin said.

''Of course, with Shevchenko we have one team and without him it is quite another team.'' SHEVCHENKO REJOINS Blokhin expected Shevchenko to rejoin the team before they headed off to Switzerland at the end of May. The player's mooted move to Chelsea did not worry him, he said.

''If this issue is settled quickly there will be no problem,'' he said. ''He has not spoken to me about it. If he asks me, I will tell him what I think.'' Ukraine's first choice goalkeeper Olexander Shovkovsky broke his collarbone in January.

Shovkovsky is now recovering his form and Blokhin has brought in two young keepers to bolster the side -- Andriy Pyatov from Vorskla Poltava and Bohdan Shust from Shakhtar.

''We believe these two young keepers have a good future,'' Blokhin said. ''Both performed well in the Ukrainian championship.'' Blokhin said the team's main task in Germany remained the same -- to break out of its group with Spain, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia and reach the next round.

He said Spain were the favourites and said all three remaining teams had ''roughly equal chances''.

''We will therefore work out two strategies --- one for playing Spain, another for playing Saudi Arabia and Tunisia,'' he said.

Ukraine take on Costa Rica at home on May 28. Three friendlies will then follow in Switzerland -- against Italy on June 2, Libya on June 5 and June 8 against Luxembourg.

''The main thing here is not the outcome of the matches. What is important here is for the entire team to play together and build themselves up psychologically,'' Blokhin said.

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