Ukraine boss in powerful message ahead of Scotland game as he vows fixture can't go ahead while people are dying

Oleksandr Petrakov has cast fresh doubt on Scotland's World Cup play-off tie going ahead in June with the Ukraine boss insisting they won't play while people are dying.

Scotland are due to face the Ukrainians in the summer after the huge route to Qatar 2022 semi-final, which was due to be played this week, was postponed because of the Russian invasion of the country.

Petrakov included 16 domestic-based players in their last squad, although three of them this week signed for Steaua Bucharest on a temporary transfer in order to get back to training and playing.

However the veteran Ukraine boss has admitted a trip to Glasgow is the last thing on his mind at the moment in an emotional interview in his homeland.

He pointed out: "As long as people in my country continue to die, I cannot think about playing the game in Scotland.

"I am constantly in touch with the players of the national team. For them, football has faded into the background.

"We still have April and May to come and we will see what happens then, but we are supposed to playing Scotland in June as well as Nations League games.

"But we can't think about them at the moment with the current situation.

"I don't even know how to talk about what has happened. My mother's home was occupied by the Germans at the last war.

"She told me what it was like and it seems similar to what the Russians are doing now. They are bombing houses and killing children.

"It's been a month and I still can't get my head around it.

"For me, there is no longer a country called Russia. I no longer have any friends there.

"All I can promise is that we will become 200 per cent stronger. Whenever I go to the checkpoints and see the people, everyone is completely united against the