Ukrainian Premier League star Oleksandr Zinchenko says his family stopped him from joining army to fight Russia

Oleksandr Zinchenko has thanked the world for standing with Ukraine and says he would join the army to fight Russia but was stopped from doing so by his family.

The Manchester City defender returned to the team for the midweek FA Cup win over Peterborough United – having sat out of the club’s previous league game – and carried the Ukraine flag before the match.

Around one million Ukrainians have fled since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded the country a little over a week ago, while many others have stayed to fight the advancing forces.

Ukraine has received almost universal support from the international community, with many countries sending weapons and resources to eastern Europe, while several Russian companies and individuals have received sanctions.

For the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine war, visit our live blog: Russia-Ukraine live

‘I’m so grateful,’ Ukraine international Zinchenko told BBC Sport. ‘I’m so grateful to all these people for the support I’m getting here.

‘I didn’t realise it’s going to be like that in this way. So I would like to say all of them big thanks. I appreciate it.

‘I’m getting a lot of messages from a lot of guys in Ukraine and they are asking me about the videos of support [from the UK].

‘So people are watching TV, the people are still watching football, and they can see all these things, and I guess it helps a lot for them.

‘It’s like, the people who are supporting Ukraine, they are trying to push them – don’t give up. And I know my people they won’t.’

Zinchenko has made more than 100 appearances for Manchester City since joining the club in 2016.

He was left out of Man City’s first game since Russia declared war but wasseen on the sidelines getting emotional as Everton’s Goodison Park