Who will be at the forefront at NAC? That is the question that currently lives in the run-up to the play-offs. Intended first striker Naoufal Bannis is injured and Jeredy Hilterman is not in the selection for the time being because of his statements at the promotion party of FC Emmen. And so hope is pinned on Mario Bilate, is he fit enough to help NAC to the Eredivisie?
“I am fit,” says Mario Bilate when Omroep Brabant speaks to him, a day before the last competition match against Excelsior. But it is not yet clear how many minutes he can play. “You can’t say that either. Every match has a different intensity. Sometimes after 70 minutes you have the feeling that you can play for 70 minutes, while in another game you are already empty after an hour of football.”
But at least his injury seems to be a thing of the past. “Personally I am over a certain point. I no longer have aches and pains after training.”
“It will become clear over the weekend what will happen next”
Edwin de Graaf was not secretive about it. Bilate will start tomorrow in the base when NAC visits Excelsior. The trainer also has little choice. Bannis is injured and Hilterman is not in the selection this week after his statements at the promotion party of FC Emmen. What further consequences Hilterman can expect will become clear next weekend.
“As I have already indicated, I did not find it useful of him. We have now told him that he will not be with the group until the weekend. In the weekend it will become clear what will happen next. The focus is now on making it to the playoffs.”
The coach may be waiting to find out how fit Bannis and Bilate are with a view to the play-offs, but De Graaf is clear on that. “It has nothing to do with that. We just wait until after the match against Excelsior to communicate.”
“We can finish it ourselves and go into the postseason with a good feeling”
NAC wants to secure the play-offs on the last day of play tomorrow. That seems like a formality since the Breda club has three points ahead of De Graafschap and also a better goal difference. Nevertheless, the transactions in the other fields will be monitored.
“We will see what happens on the other fields. But hopefully that will not be necessary. We can finish it ourselves and go into the postseason with a good feeling.”