Injury-Plagued Feyenoord Set Their Sights on Success Ahead of Milan Showdown

Despite battling a significant injury crisis, Feyenoord remains optimistic as they prepare for their Champions League knockout encounter against AC Milan at the San Siro.

Following captain Quinten Timber’s season-ending injury sustained during the first leg in Rotterdam, the club now grapples with ten players sidelined. Timber, Justin Bijlow, Chris-Kevin Nadje, Jordan Lotomba, and Bart Nieuwkoop are confirmed out for the remainder of the season. Additionally, Ayase Ueda, Hwang In-beom, Gernot Trauner, Ramiz Zerrouki, and Facundo Gonzalez will also be unavailable due to short-term injuries.

“We still have a robust squad that’s not vastly different from last week,” said caretaker manager Pascal Bosschaart during a press conference in Milan on Monday. “Calvin Stengs has returned, which is a positive sign. He will be capable of playing up to half an hour.”

In addition to the numerous injuries, Feyenoord will also be without Quillindschy Hartman and their January signings Oussama Targhalline and Stéphano Carrilo, as these players were not registered for the knockout stages.

“It’s certainly a tough situation,” acknowledged Bosschaart. “However, we have an exciting challenge ahead of us. We’re leading 1-0, which provides us with a solid advantage for progression.”

Feyenoord secured a narrow 1-0 victory over AC Milan in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout tie, with Igor Paixao capitalising on a critical mistake by goalkeeper Mike Maignan in rainy Rotterdam. With only two fit forwards available in the matchday squad, Bosschaart admits strategic adjustments are necessary for the decisive match in Milan.

“We’ll adapt our approach to optimise our chances of success,” stated the interim manager, who took over after Brian Priske’s departure. “We won’t overhaul our strategy completely, but we are able to implement slight nuances in how we play.”