Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko could miss Community Shield vs Man City due to fixture clash
Oleksandr Zinchenko, the Arsenal player, might have to skip the Community Shield match against his former team, Manchester City. This is due to his participation in a charity game scheduled for the same weekend.
On Sunday, August 6, Arsenal will face City in the season-opening match, which is traditionally played between the Premier League champions and the FA Cup winners.
However, since City won both competitions this year, the second spot in the Community Shield goes to the Premier League runner-up, which is Arsenal.
As a result, Arsenal will face Manchester City at Wembley for the Community Shield match. However, there is a possibility that Zinchenko may not be available for the game.
He is scheduled to participate in a charity match organized by himself and Ukrainian football legend Andriy Shevchenko. The charity match, called Game 4 Ukraine, will take place at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium on Saturday, August 5, which is the day before the Community Shield.
The purpose of the match is to raise funds for the reconstruction of Ukraine’s infrastructure and facilities, which were affected by the Russian invasion last year and the ongoing war.
Zinchenko is now confronted with a challenging decision regarding his involvement in the charity match. He must weigh the options of either withdrawing from the charity match altogether, participating in a limited capacity, or taking the risk of playing full matches in both the charity game and the Community Shield.
This decision comes just days before the commencement of the new Premier League season, adding further complexity to the situation.
Zinchenko: Ukraine won’t give up
Zinchenko is likely to be hesitant about withdrawing from the charity game that he has actively contributed to organizing.
Despite being only 26 years old, he recognizes the importance of playing a role for his country through sports, particularly considering the ongoing war in Ukraine.
During a recent visit to Ukraine, his first since the conflict began, Zinchenko expressed this sentiment in an interview with CNN.
“Difficult is for our soldiers who are staying on the front line, for the people who are taking a risk every single minute during these days to help Ukraine and to defend our land. That’s the people for whom it is difficult.
“For me, to be honest, I would say that maybe Ukrainian people are not the most talented people around the world, let’s say in football, but I know for sure that our mentality and our character is so strong.
“We’re never going to give up and we’re going to adapt in all cases and we’re going to fight until the very end.”
Zinchenko had the privilege of meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently, an experience he described as an honor. During their meeting, they talked about the forthcoming charity match in London, which will be available for Ukrainians to watch without charge.
When asked about the other participants in the game besides himself and Shevchenko, Zinchenko expressed a desire to keep the details undisclosed.
“But for sure, it’s going to be so interesting.”
Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko could miss Community Shield vs Man City due to fixture clash
