big changes at Shakhtar Donetsk

Although Shakhtar Donetsk does not return to domestic play till February 28 when they face FC Illychivets Mariupil, manager Mircea Lucescu has been very busy.

With Lique 1 club Olympique de Marseille negotiating a deal that would send Brandão to France, they have recalled three players from on-loan. Starting with two Ukraine U21 internationals, Ruslan Fomin returns from Metalist Kharkiv and Igor Korotetskiy comes back from Zorya Luhansk. In an interesting move the much traveled Mexican international Nery Alberto Castillo returns from a discouraging period with Manchester City and by all accounts is hopeful of a fresh start for Hirnyky.