Fiorentina vs Dynamo Kyiv preview - Babacar missing for Fiorentina
Posted Wednesday, April 22, 2015 by PA
Fiorentina have suffered a blow ahead of their Europa League quarter-final return leg against Dynamo Kiev in Florence on Thursday with Khouma Babacar ruled out for the remainder of the season.
The Senegal striker suffered a serious knee injury in Monday's 1-0 home defeat to Hellas Verona.
Babacar, whose stoppage-time equaliser handed Fiorentina a vital away goal in last week's 1-1 draw in Kiev, will be out of action for six weeks.
"Misfortune seems to accompany us," La Viola coach Vincenzo Montella said to the Italian press when asked about Babacar's injury.
"It seems as if destiny is mocking us."
Fiorentina are in the midst of a four-match winless run.
Monday's loss was the their third in the last four games and dropped them to sixth in the Serie A standings, nine points adrift of Roma, who hold the last Champions League qualifying spot.
Fiorentina have never lost a quarter-final in the Europa League, but they have won just one of their last four European home games.
"We have a slight advantage but we cannot think that will be enough because whenever we have made calculations in the past, it has proved costly," Fiorentina captain Manuel Pasqual said.
"We need to move on quickly from our defeat against Verona and go into Thursday's game against Dynamo determined to win."
The Ukrainian giants have failed to beat Fiorentina in their previous meetings and have lost three of their four European away games.
Dynamo are five points clear of Shakhtar Donetsk at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League after Sunday's 3-1 win at Volyn.
Serhiy Rebrov's side will be without defender Aleksandar Dragovic, who must serve a one-match ban.
Fiorentina will have to keep a close eye on Ukrainian forward Andriy Yarmolenko, who has scored four goals and set up six more in this competition.
Yarmolenko is set to partner Jeremain Lens in attack.
The hosts welcome back defender Jose Basanta from suspension.
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