Hungary vs Ukraine: Dovbyk Ruled Out for Visitors
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Hungary play Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League on Friday, 25 September 2026 at Puskás Aréna in Budapest, with the visiting squad adjusting their attacking options following the withdrawal of Artem Dovbyk.
Ukraine alter squad options after injury withdrawals
Ukraine manager Andrea Maldera was forced to revise his roster before travelling to Budapest. Forward Artem Dovbyk withdrew after sustaining an injury with his club, while midfielder Oleksandr Andrievskyi missed out following an appendectomy. Maldera called up forward Ihor Krasnopir and midfielder Oleksandr Pikhalionok from the reserve list, alongside winger Vladyslav Veleten, to form a 30-man squad. Attacker Artem Stepanov was also ruled out through injury.
Maldera, who took charge in May following the departure of Serhiy Rebrov, also omitted defensive midfielders Ivan Kaliuzhnyi and Yehor Yarmoliuk. Volodymyr Brazhko, Yehor Nazaryna, and Oleh Ocheretko remain available in midfield, while the defensive unit includes Mykola Matviyenko, Valeriy Bondar, Illia Zabarnyi, and Mykolenko in front of goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin.
Hungary begin League B campaign at Puskás Aréna
Hungary enter League B Group 2 after suffering relegation from League A during the 2024/25 tournament. In that eight-match campaign, Hungary managed just one victory before dropping into the second tier.
The fixture at the 67,889-capacity Puskás Aréna opens a six-match group schedule that features home and away meetings with Ukraine, Northern Ireland, and Georgia.
Our model leans narrowly towards a Hungary win
Our forecasting model leans narrowly towards a Hungary win. The low-confidence call reflects Ukraine's disrupted preparations, with Maldera having to replace Dovbyk in forward positions, coupled with Hungary playing at home. That assessment is balanced against Hungary's record of winning only one of their previous eight UEFA Nations League matches.
