Marked for Maksym Savchuk
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad7 Jun 2027
A fracture rules Maksym Savchuk out for 17 days
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Polissia will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Squad7 Jun 2027
Yevhen Volynets was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad7 Jun 2027
A row about effort at Polissia
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Lindon Emërllahu was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout7 Jun 2027
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Mykola Haiduchyk is on it.
The dugout7 Jun 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Polissia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The dugout7 Jun 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market7 Jun 2027
The name of Vladyslav Veleten keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Polissia say nothing, which says plenty.
Loan watch7 Jun 2027
Heorhii Bushchan’s loan is measured in nothing happening
4 clean sheets from 5 appearances at Dynamo Kyiv. That is the whole of a goalkeeper’s job done properly, and it is being done a long way from the club that owns him.
The dugout7 Jun 2027
He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad31 May 2027
25 days out for Maksym Savchuk after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Polissia will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Squad31 May 2027
There are footballers who have a good season and footballers a season is remembered for, and the second kind get their names read out in a hall in the summer. Polissia will be quietly delighted and privately nervous.
Market31 May 2027
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Alisson Oliveira Da Silva will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Polissia the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Loan watch31 May 2027
17 goals on loan for Gonçalves
29 appearances at Veres and the goals keep coming. Polissia are watching this more closely than the borrowing club would like.
Squad31 May 2027
Words exchanged at Polissia
Yevhen Volynets and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
The dugout31 May 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout31 May 2027
Ihor Krasnopir has become a man the manager trusts
Nobody at Polissia will say this on the record and the team sheets have been saying it for weeks. There is a small group in every squad who get picked when the fixture is difficult, and he has joined it.
The dugout31 May 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Polissia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad31 May 2027
A row about effort at Polissia
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Giorgi Maisuradze was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad24 May 2027
32 days out for Maksym Savchuk after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Polissia will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Squad24 May 2027
A falling-out at Polissia
Yevhen Volynets and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Squad24 May 2027
A row about effort at Polissia
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Lindon Emërllahu was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout24 May 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
The dugout24 May 2027
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Bohdan Mykhailichenko is on it.
Market24 May 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Polissia know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
The dugout24 May 2027
A conversation in the manager’s office, and a commitment that came out of it. Promises like that are cheap to make and expensive to break, and Borys Krushynskyi has written the date down.
The dugout24 May 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Polissia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Squad24 May 2027
The sharpest man in every session this week, by all accounts. Lines like this run the week before somebody’s run in the side begins.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad17 May 2027
A fracture rules Maksym Savchuk out for 41 days
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Polissia will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
The dugout17 May 2027
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Polissia may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad17 May 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Polissia this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad17 May 2027
Lindon Emërllahu falls out with a teammate over standards
The oldest argument in any dressing room and the only one that is genuinely about football: one man thinks another is not putting enough in. It is also the row a manager privately does not mind having happened.
The dugout17 May 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Vladyslav Veleten, and the manager let it.
The dugout17 May 2027
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Maksym Braharu is on it.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad10 May 2027
A fracture rules Maksym Savchuk out for 50 days
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Polissia will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Squad10 May 2027
Yevhen Volynets was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad10 May 2027
Words at Polissia training over how hard people work
Somebody said out loud what several people had been thinking. Lindon Emërllahu is at the centre of it, and the squad will now find out whether the standard rises or the pair of them simply stop speaking.
The dugout10 May 2027
Régis gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The dugout10 May 2027
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
The dugout10 May 2027
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Polissia, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market10 May 2027
The name of Vladyslav Veleten keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Polissia say nothing, which says plenty.
Loan watch10 May 2027
5 appearances at Dynamo Kyiv and the goals have stopped going in. Polissia lent out a goalkeeper and are watching somebody else’s season get better every week.
The dugout10 May 2027
He asked about his future and was given an answer with minutes in it. The manager has now made a promise in a building where promises are remembered, and the clock on it has started.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad3 May 2027
57 days out for Maksym Savchuk after a fracture
A bone, which is the one injury with a calendar attached. Polissia will name a return date and, unusually for this business, will probably be right about it.
Market3 May 2027
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Polissia they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Loan watch3 May 2027
29 appearances away from home and 17 goals to show for them. Every one of them makes next summer's conversation a little more expensive.
Squad3 May 2027
Words exchanged at Polissia
Yevhen Volynets and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Squad3 May 2027
A row about effort at Polissia
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Lindon Emërllahu was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
The dugout3 May 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Lindon Emërllahu, and the manager let it.
The dugout3 May 2027
It is never announced and it is entirely visible: the biggest afternoons of the season keep containing him. A press box works this out long before anybody at the club confirms a word of it.
Squad3 May 2027
Ítalo is no longer first choice
The manager has re-ordered his thinking and Ítalo has come out of it lower. He will be told it is temporary, and the players who have heard that before will avoid his eye.
Loan watch3 May 2027
17 appearances away from home and 8 goals to show for them. Every one of them makes next summer's conversation a little more expensive.