Erik ten Hag has announced the line-up of Ajax for the home match against RKC Waalwijk on Sunday. Noussair Mazraoui is not fit in time to make his comeback in the main squad of the home club. Jurriën Timber, who started on Thursday against AZ as right back, is also missing, so Devyne Rensch starts on the right wing. There is also a base place for Perr Schuurs in the back. The ball rolls in the Johan Cruijff ArenA from 4.45 pm.
Mazraoui came in last week, when Ajax was surprised by Go Ahead Eagles (2-1). The right-footed defender was missing against AZ on Thursday, so Ten Hag chose Timber on the right side of his defense. The originally center defender is struggling with minor complaints and therefore sees the duel with RKC from the stands. Schuurs keeps his basic place in the heart of the Ajax defence, with Lisandro Martínez next to him. Daley Blind will start again as left back. Due to the goalkeeper problems, André Onana is under the bar again. Ryan Gravenberch is again preferred over Davy Klaassen in midfield. The midfield is completed by Edson Álvarez and Steven Berghuis. In the front, Antony and Dusan Tadic must provide the supply to deepest striker Sébastien Haller.
Jurriën Timber is not fit enough to start against RKC Waalwijk.
Ajax suffered damage last Sunday against Go Ahead in the battle for the national title in the Eredivisie. Four days later, sporting revenge followed in the form of a 0-2 victory over AZ in the semi-finals of the TOTO KNVB Cup. In the final battle, there is now a confrontation with title competitor PSV, which is the new leader thanks to the 3-1 victory over Heracles Almelo on Sunday. RKC is working on a lesser series in the Eredivisie and partly because of this they have dropped to fourteenth place. Earlier this year, Ajax won a 0-5 visit to RKC, with goals from Sébastien Haller (2), Steven Berghuis (2) and Jurriën Timber.
At RKC, trainer Joseph Oosting and players Etienne Vaessen and Alexander Büttner are missing due to illness. Melle Meulensteen is also not fit enough to be part of the match selection for the visit to Ajax. In the absence of Oosting, assistant coach Sander German and Peter Uneken take over the honors at RKC in the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
Ajax setup: onana; Rensch, Schuurs, Martínez, Blind; Álvarez, Gravenberch, Berghuis; Antony, Haller, Tadic
RKC Waalwijk line-up: El Maach; Gaari, Adewoye, Van den Buijs, Touba, Wouters; Bakari, Anita, Van der Venne, Odgaard, Kramer.