PSV trainer Ruud van Nistelrooij is counting on Armando Obispo in the away match against sc Heerenveen. The defender was left in the dressing room after the break in the 5-1 win against FC Zurich in the Europa League on Thursday due to minor complaints. “We have taken Armando out as a precaution. We do not expect any problems with that for this weekend,” said Van Nistelrooij, who trained once more on Swiss soil with his team before the return trip to Eindhoven.
Defenders Jarrad Branthwaite and Ki-Jana Hoever were not among them. The Englishman got physical complaints in the warm-up on Thursday and therefore stayed aside. Hoever came into the team halfway through the second half, but he had some complaints about that. “We have to sort it all out for Sunday,” said the PSV coach.
“This tastes like more.”
PSV recovered with the convincing victory in Zurich from the heavy defeat five days earlier at SC Cambuur (3-0). “This tastes like more, we want to continue in this way,” says Van Nistelrooij.
PSV will meet a ‘angstgegner’ with Heerenveen. PSV’s last victory in the Abe Lenstra stadium dates from almost eleven years ago: 1-5. After that, Heerenveen – PSV ended in a draw five times, the home team won four times.
“That makes the challenge and the will to take points there all the greater,” said Van Nistelrooij, who played for Heerenveen in the 1997-1998 season. PSV then took him over from the Frisian club.
“Always nice to return to Heerenveen.”
“I had a fantastic year there with Foppe and Riemer,” says the former striker about the then trainer Foppe de Haan and chairman Riemer van der Velde. “It is always nice to return to Heerenveen. I am curious how many acquaintances I will meet.”