Justin Bijlow is ‘just’ under the bar during the game between Feyenoord and PEC Zwolle on Sunday. The closing post sustained a minor injury to the the Dutch during the past international period, but trainer Arne Slot already showed positive about his deployability during the press conference on Friday. As a result, Feyenoord will appear in the same line-up as during the 1-0 win against AZ.
It means that Alireza Jahanbakhsh once again has to settle for a spot on the reserve bench. Jens Toornstra is on paper the third attacker next to Luis Sinisterra and Bryan Linssen, while Fredrik Aursnes takes his place in midfield. The main question mark in the run-up to the match between Feyenoord and PEC was Bijlow’s availability, but he appears to have recovered in time from the minor injury he sustained at the the Dutch squad.
“It is expected that he will make the save on Sunday, but he still has to pass that test tomorrow,” Slot said on Friday during the press conference in the run-up to the meeting with PEC. Bijlow indicated to the the Dutch that he was not fit enough for the crucial international match against Norway (2-0 win), in which he was replaced by Jasper Cillessen.
“That’s great, but I think it’s also quite normal that you clearly indicate to the trainer, staff or in this case probably in the first instance the goalkeeper coach how you are doing”, concluded Slot. “I understood from him that he had the idea that he was not one hundred percent. In general, you come to the decision together with the technical staff. In itself I think it is normal, in a group that is well put together, that you just communicate openly and honestly about how you feel.”
Dick Schreuder took the lead for the first time at PEC on Sunday in De Kuip, after he took over the helm from the departed Art Langeler last week. Schreuder cannot rely on Poland’s slightly injured Bram, which means that Mustafa Saymak wears the captain’s armband and Rav van den Berg has a basic place. Van Polen is on the reserve bench. Compared to the last game against SC Cambuur (1-2 defeat), Mark Pabai, Daishawn Redan and Gervane Kastaneer disappear from the starting eleven in favor of Yuta Nakayama, Luka Adzic and Slobodan Tedic.
Line-up Feyenoord: Bijlow, Pedersen, Trauner, Senesi, Malacia; Kokcu, Aursnes, Til; Toornstra, Linssen and Sinisterra.
Line-up PEC Zwolle: lamprou; De Wit, Van den Berg, Kersten, Nakayama; Stieder, Paal, Saymak, Huiberts; Adzic and Tedic.