At PSV, the preparation for the away match against FC Utrecht revolved around Joey Veerman. The midfielder is approaching a transfer to Fenerbahçewhile Peter Bosz already has enough worries on his mind. The trainer is missing eight, possibly nine players in Galgenwaard Stadium. The match starts on Sunday at 12.15 pm and can be seen live on ESPN 2.
Nick Olij suffered a groin injury midweek and will be sidelined for months. Fellow Haarlemmer Couhaib Driouech made it to the KNVB Cup match with GVVV, but was injured. Ruben van Bommel, Alassane Pléa and Myron Boadu have been out for a long time with serious injuries.
In addition, Bosz had to let three teams go to the Africa Cup. The loss of reserve player Adamo Nagalo (Burkina Faso) will probably not be felt that way, but the same cannot be said about the basic players Anass Salah-Eddine and Ismael Saibari who left for Morocco.
Finally, there is a question mark behind Mauro Júnior’s name. The Brazilian, like Driouech, was injured against GVVV after he got an opponent’s heel in his stomach area during a match. “It is a bruise and it hurts,” Bosz said about Mauro. “But it is not excluded that he will play on Sunday.”
Matej Kovár will be under the bar in Utrecht. Yarek Gasiorowski has resumed training this week and seems ready for his return. In that case, the Spaniard forms the center with Jerdy Schouten. Sergiño Dest starts as left back this time, to make room for Kiliann Sildillia on the right.
Assuming that Veerman is ready to play despite all the transfer problems, he will form the midfield with at least Guus Til. If Mauro is deemed fit enough, he will start. Still, it seems risky to let him play with a bruise, which makes a starting place for Paul Wanner more logical in advance.
Up front, striker Ricardo Pepi will have to score the goals. Dennis Man is the right winger, while the left winger position is filled by Ivan Perisic.
On the Utrecht side, it seems that Noah Ohio will be part of the match selection after all. The striker suffered a tear in his hamstring two weeks ago, but the recovery is going very well.
“It looks positive that Ohio could also sit on the bench,” coach Ron Jans said on the club channels. Utrecht drew its last four Eredivisie matches and has therefore dropped to eighth place. Winter champion PSV enjoys a nine-point lead over Feyenoord.
Possible PSV line-up: Blacksmith; Sildillia, Schouten, Gasiorowski, Dest; Wanner, Til, Veerman; Man, Pepi, Perisic.
