Ajax Faces Striker Concerns Ahead of Sparta Clash
Amsterdam – Ajax will be without Wout Weghorst for Saturday’s Eredivisie match against Sparta Rotterdam due to a suspension, adding to potential attacking woes as Kasper Dolberg is also a doubt for the contest.
Weghorst picked up his fifth yellow card of the season during last weekend’s match against FC Groningen and will serve a one-game suspension as a result. The suspension comes at a critical juncture for Ajax, who are currently fifth in the Eredivisie standings and looking to solidify their position in the league table.
The situation is further complicated by the uncertainty surrounding Dolberg, who is currently battling a bout of stomach issues. According to reports, Dolberg has not trained for the past two days.
Ajax coach Oscar García confirmed the absences during a press conference, also noting that Ko Itakura remains sidelined with a back injury, and Oliver Edvardsen is unavailable. “Van de geblesseerden is niemand fit. Ze zijn nog steeds aan het herstellen,” García stated. “Wout (Weghorst) is ziek en kon de laatste dagen niet trainen, maar hij is ook geschorst. Kasper (Dolberg) heeft de afgelopen twee dagen ook niet getraind, omdat hij last had van zijn buik. Oliver (Edvardsen) is ook niet beschikbaar.”
Despite the challenges, García expressed confidence in his squad’s preparation for the remaining eight league matches. “Met mijn staf hebben we veel wedstrijden bekeken. We wilden ons richten op de dingen die in een korte periode kunnen veranderen.”
Ajax does have options to fill the void up front, with Kasper Dolberg and Don-Angelo Konadu both potential replacements, even as Oscar Gloukh could also feature in the central attacking role.
The Eredivisie and Keuken Kampioen Divisie both enforce suspensions after a player accumulates five yellow cards, with further suspensions triggered at the tenth and subsequent yellow cards. Yellow cards received in both Ajax 1’s Eredivisie matches and Jong Ajax’s Keuken Kampioen Divisie games are tallied together.
Ajax will host Sparta Rotterdam on Saturday evening, with a potential boost in betting odds for a home win. A win for Ajax could yield a 50x return on investment for bettors.
Following the Sparta match, Ajax will face Feyenoord in “De Klassieker” next Sunday.
