Everton boss Roberto Martinez has criticised the state of the Dynamo Kyiv pitch but hopes his team are not adversely affected by it.
The Toffees meet the Ukraine outfit at the Olympic Stadium in the Eastern European country's capital in the Europa League Round of 16 second leg on Thursday night.
Martinez's side hold a 2-1 lead after last week's first leg at Goodison Park but the preparation for the return bout has not been to his liking as the pitch was covered on Wednesday meaning his side had to train on the running track on the outside.
Of the subpar surface, Martinez said: "Dynamo Kyiv are a technical team and they need a good pitch, and we are exactly the same.
"I don't think it will play a big part in terms of giving a favour or advantage to either of the two sides.
"I think it is a little bit of a shame for the game of football that the pitch is not going to be in perfect condition.
"But you have to adapt to whatever surface you play on.
"We really respect Dynamo. I enjoy watching them play - their manager and staff have done a fantastic job building a team based on attacking and scoring goals.
"I expect a really open game tomorrow. But whilst we respect them, we are desperate to do well in the competition."
