Ukraine Euro 2016 team profile: Little-known eastern European stars set for breakthrough tournament

World ranking: 19

How they qualified: Despite finishing third in a group that also included Spain and Slovakia, Ukraine qualified relatively comfortably, finishing eight points clear of fourth-placed Belarus.

Fixtures: Germany (12 June), Northern Ireland (16 June), Poland (21 June)

Squad –

Goalkeepers: Andriy Pyatov, Denys Boyko, Mykyta Shevchenko

Defenders: Artem Fedetskiy, Mykyta Kamenyuka, Vyacheslav Shevchuk, Oleksandr Kucher, Yaroslav Rakytskyi, Yevhen Khacheridi

Midfielders: Anatoliy Tymoschuk, Oleksandr Karavaev, Andriy Yarmolenko, Denys Garmash, Serhiy Sydorchuk, Serhiy Rybalka, Taras Stepanenko, Viktor Kovalenko, Ruslan Rotan, Yevhen Konoplyanka

Forwards: Pylyp Budkovskyi, Roman Zozulya, Yevhen Seleznyov

Expectations: Although they may not be household names, the likes of Yarmolenko and Konoplyanka could enjoy a breakthrough tournament in France. Given the relatively modest competition they will encounter in Group C, which also features Germany, Poland and Northern Ireland, Ukraine should be targeting a place in the round of 16.

Yarmolenko has been linked with numerous Premier League clubs over the last few years and some head-turning performances in France could help the forward secure a money-spinning move to England this summer.

Manager: Mykhaylo Fomenko is hardly a well-known figure outside of Eastern Europe, but he has significantly more experience than the bulk of his rivals, having started his coaching career at FC Frunzenets-Liha-99 Sumy in late 1970s. He has been the Ukraine boss since 2012 after Harry Redknapp and Sven-Goran Eriksson both passed on the job.

IBTimes UK prediction: Second round – The little-known outfit from eastern Europe ought to progress from their group, where some of their better players are bound to impress watching scouts who are looking for a bargain or two. Thereafter, however, the Ukrainians could find themselves up against the hosts France, where their weaknesses would be brutally exposed.