The line-up of Ajax for the first leg in the quarter finals of the Europa League against AS Roma is known. Kjell Scherpen defends the goal of the team from Amsterdam on Thursday evening, because Maarten Stekelenburg is still absent. Furthermore, trainer Erik ten Hag chooses the same eleven names as last Sunday in the away match against sc Heerenveen, regardless of the fact that Anthony takes over Sébastien Haller’s place in the team.
Daley Blind joined the longer absent from Ajax last week, to which in the Europa League, in addition to the suspended André Onana, also the non-eligible Haller and Noussair Mazraoui struggling with eyesight. The deployability of Stekelenburg and Perr Schuurs was uncertain due to minor injuries, while Sean Klaiber became a father on Tuesday and therefore did not train with them. Stekelenburg and Schuurs are not present.
Ten Hag makes one change compared to the 1-2 won game with Heerenveen. Antony comes into the team as a left winger as expected, moving Dusan Tadic to the forward position to replace the absent Haller. Devyne Rensch still played in Friesland as a midfielder, but is acting against AS Roma again as a right back according to the line-ups communicated by UEFA. Jurriën Timber returns to the center of defense, while Edson Álvarez forms the midfield with Davy Klaassen and Ryan Gravenberch.
AS Roma had a difficult run-up to the game in Amsterdam, because trainer Paulo Fonseca cannot rely on Stephan El Shaarawy, Chris Smalling, Marash Kumbulla, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolò Zaniolo. In addition, the Corriere dello Sport last week about an uprising against Fonseca led by the group of players by Edin Dzeko, but the Bosnian is ‘just’ in the forefront. Lorenzo Pellegrini and Pedro play in the back of Mkhitaryan and El Shaarawy in the absence. The absence of Smalling and Kumbulla makes Gianluca Mancini, Bryan Cristante and Roger Ibañez.
Devyne Rensch, Perr Schuurs, Nicolás Tagliafico and David Neres have to be careful. On the Roma side, Bruno Peres, Gianluca Mancini and Gonzalo Villar are on edge. Rick Karsdorp has been suspended for the game in Amsterdam; in the return, the Dutch right back is back in the party. Bruno Peres takes the place of Karsdorp on the right flank of AS Roma.
Probable line-up Ajax: Sharpening; Rensch, J. Timber, Martinez, Tagliafico; Álvarez, Klaassen, Gravenberch; Antony, Tadic, Neres.
Probable position of AS Roma: Lopez; Mancini, Cristante, Ibanez; Peres, Veretout, Diawara, Spinazzola; Pedro, Pellegrini; Dzeko.