You're reading: Blokhin: Ten Ukraine players ill with stomach upset

Ukraine have suffered a worrying illness scare, just days before the Euro 2012 co-hosts play their opening match against Sweden, with 10 players suffering from stomach upset, coach Oleg Blokhin said after a 2-0 warm-up defeat by Turkey on Tuesday, June 5.

Influential midfielder Anatoly Tymoshchuk is being treated on a drip while strikerAndriy Voroninis also ill.

"Tymoshchyk is still in bad condition, we have got him on a drip. And this is not funny. We have to wait for the doctors’ verdict but the situation is far from funny," Blokhin told reporters after the defeat inIngolstadt,Germany.

"I do not know the reason for the illness because we all ate different food. We have one week to recover…it’s good that it did not happen on June 11."

Ukraine, who suffered their second successive friendly loss after a 3-2 defeat againstAustrialast Friday, begin their Group D campaign againstSwedeninKyivon Monday.

Blokhin said defenderBohdan Butkoand midfielder Denys Garmash were also afflicted but were well enough to start againstTurkey.

"If Butko and Garmash refused to play I could have cancelled the game because of a lack of players," he said.

Goals fromCaner ErkinandMustafa Pektemekwere enough to secure victory as Blokhin’s hastily re-arranged lineup failed to gel.

Pektemek set up Erkin to score on the half hour butUkraine, outplayed in the first half, improved after the break andTurkeygoalkeeperMert Gunokwas forced to parry Yaroslav Rakitsky’s header at full stretch.

Substitute Andriy Shevchenko then headed a clear chance wide and also chipped against the crossbar.

Pektemek sealed victory forTurkeywhen he beat the offside trap and lobbed keeperAndriy Pyatovon 69 minutes.