Ukraine captain in Scotland World Cup playoff admission as he says 'I will have to sort out my mind' to play

Dynamo Kyiv skipper Serhiy Sydorchuk has admitted he will face a moral dilemma whether to play against Scotland in the World Cup showdown in June while war is raging in his homeland.

Scotland face the crisis-torn nation on June 1 in the play-offs, semi-final with the winner due to play Wales in Cardiff, after the postponement of the original game in March.

Sydorchuk was one of 12 Dynamo Kyiv players at the centre of a huge row this week after his club originally refused to allow those players to leave their tour of Europe to join up with Ukraine's training camp in Slovenia next month.

Dynamo eventually yielded and Sydorchuk will soon travel to Ljubljana to meet up with his international colleagues.

But he's admitted he's not particularly comfortable with playing football at present.

He said: "I don't mind admitting I find it morally difficult to play football at the moment. It's hard to concentrate on football when your people are fighting a war.

"Of course, it's hard, because our military are fighting for our freedom and it does play on your mind.

"I have to sort my mind out when I play in the charity matches with Dynamo and it will be the same when I play for Ukraine.

"I can only offer words of gratitude and all-round support to our Armed Forces. They are great men and have been showing this for more than 50 days.

"They have shown who the Ukrainians are and what Ukraine is. Big respect to them. If we manage to get past Scotland and reach the World Cup, then this will be a boost for the country.

"We keep getting messages from the army personnel saying they are thinking about the games in June, so it is very important to play and try to win in Glasgow."