Maarten Stekelenburg is out for the rest of the season with a groin and abdominal injury, Ajax confirms. The 39-year-old goalkeeper of Ajax has decided to go under the knife and will remain sidelined for the rest of the football season. The question is whether Stekelenburg will return under the bar in view of his expiring contract.
“I have to have surgery on my hip to get rid of my groin complaints,” says Stekelenburg. “After that, a months-long rehabilitation follows. I go from one extreme to the other. When I returned to Ajax in 2020, I could not have imagined that I would win the double here as a basic goalkeeper. I also did not expect that I would then play with the Dutch. the European Championship would be on target. I then stopped as an international to be able to focus fully on Ajax. And now my season is suddenly over due to this injury, I am terribly disappointed.”
Stekelenburg last played for Ajax on August 29, in the home match against Vitesse (5-0 win). After that, the veteran was replaced by 37-year-old Remko Pasveer, who did not leave a very reliable impression. Ajax also has Jay Gorter, who is currently making his minutes in Young Ajax and has never played in the Eredivisie.
Stekelenburg’s long absence will raise the question at Ajax whether André Onana should still be deployed. The Cameroonian’s doping suspension expires on November 4, after which he can be used again. Onana refuses to extend his expiring contract with Ajax and, according to Fabrizio Romano, is almost in agreement with Internazionale, which will hire him transfer-free after the season.
Related
More sports news