Ajax will be without new signing Yves Bissouma for Saturday's home match against Excelsior. The 30-year-old Malian midfielder, added to the squad on Wednesday, is not yet eligible to play, the Amsterdam club confirmed.
The absence of Bissouma adds to the injury list which includes Daley Blind, Aaron Bouwman and Simon Adingra. Ajax head into the game buoyed by a 5-1 win over Willem II on Tuesday, a result that cut the gap to league leaders PSV and AZ to three points. Míchel said his team showed the right attitude in that match. "We played a good game and the players had the right mindset, both offensively and defensively," the manager stated. He stressed the importance of building on that performance.
Míchel anticipates a tough encounter with Excelsior, who sit sixth in the table after six matches with ten points. "They play with high intensity and pressure on the opponent. They have shown they are efficient in front of goal," the Ajax boss said. He added his team must be at their best to secure a victory.
Excelsior are seventh in the Eredivisie, having taken ten points from their first six games. Under manager Marinus Dijkhuizen, their recent form reads two wins, one draw and two defeats from the last five outings. Their most recent result was a 1-2 home defeat to FC Utrecht last weekend, with Aymen Sliti scoring their consolation goal. The full list of recent results and the current standings are available online.
Ahead of the upcoming clash at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, Excelsior's likely squad selection will be key. The Rotterdam side can rely on top scorer D. Garden, who has three goals this season. The away trip to face the league's fourth-placed team presents another challenge. The match kicks off at 18:45 on Saturday and is the next fixture on the schedule.
Further reading: AD Sport
