Marino Santos, the sporting director of "Shakhtar", announced the Donetsk club's squad for the main stage of the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League. The list includes 30 players who will represent the Orange-and-Blacks in the upcoming matches.
"We've carefully selected a balanced squad that combines experienced players and promising talents from our academy," a club representative noted during the announcement.
"Shakhtar" will face six opponents in the main stage of the tournament: "Aberdeen", "Legia", "Breidablik", "Shamrock Rovers", "Hamrun Spartans", and "Rijeka". This diverse mix of opponents will test the Ukrainian champions across different football styles and traditions.
The squad includes four goalkeepers with Kiril Fesyun and Dmytro Riznyk expected to compete for the starting position. The defensive line features eight players, including Brazilian Marlon Santos and Ukrainian international Mykola Matviyenko.
In midfield, "Shakhtar" has the largest contingent with 13 players, highlighting the importance coach places on controlling the middle of the park. The attack will be led by just three forwards, including Brazilian Luka Meirelish.
Interestingly, five players marked with an asterisk in the official announcement are registered under List B, which typically indicates academy graduates or younger players developed by the club.
Will this squad be enough to make a deep run in the Conference League? With the combination of experience and youth, "Shakhtar" certainly looks prepared for the challenge ahead.
