Captain Steijn had to miss Stuttgart away on Thursday evening (2-0 defeat), but hopes to make his return against Go Ahead Eagles (Sunday, 8 p.m.). Van Persie is careful with Sauer, who also plays for the Slovakia national team and would otherwise be completely burned out in the first months of this season.
In Stuttgart he only came on twenty minutes before the end. At Valente the lights went out in the final phase and Oussama Targhalline missed the European match completely. The Moroccan international, called up again for his country, can almost certainly play again after his head injury in Deventer.
Who is injured at Feyenoord?
Van Persie concluded that his team was doing well in terms of football, despite the two late goals conceded by the Germans. Part of his selection is mainly about growing content. The bad luck lies in the injuries of experienced players such as Jakub Moder and In-beom Hwang, which means Feyenoord has to rely more on the younger guard than is desirable.
The fact that the team itself is well put together is well understood in Germany. At VfB Stutgart, technical director Fabian Wohlgemuth is full of praise for Van Persie and his team. “Feyenoord is the best team we have met here in our stadium since Bayern Munich in the Super Cup. They closed off the rooms perfectly. The fact that we have nevertheless taken three points is extremely important for our chances in the Europa League.”