Eljero Elia was left out of the match selection by FC Utrecht coach René Hake on Wednesday for the first practice match in preparation for the new season. “I made different choices”, Hake declared after the 2-7 victory over KV Mechelen The Telegraph.
“Not a good sign for the perspective of the ex-international whose contract continues for another year at FC Utrecht,” writes The Telegraphjournalist Jeroen Kapteijns on Twitter. Elia returned to the Netherlands last year after three seasons with Istanbul Basaksehir. In the Eredivisie he made 21 matches, of which 10 as a basic player. In the competition, the 34-year-old winger has scored two goals and no assists.
“No, he was not injured. He’s just fit. Why isn’t he playing? Because we make different choices. We have a lot of guys in that position and I chose these guys,” Hake said Football International. In conversation with the weekly, Hake was asked whether Elia can leave this transfer period. The trainer then referred to technical director Jordy Zuidam, who in turn said that there is no question of a departure at the moment.
The fact that Elia was not part of the 25-man match selection indicates, according to the geeft General Newspaper may indicate that there is something going on around him. Hake’s team had no problems with Mechelen. Adrián Dalmau was accurate twice. The other goals were scored by Moussa Sylla, Bart Ramselaar, Remco Balk and Gyrano Kerk, while Mechelen scored an own goal once. On August 15, the new Eredivisie season starts for Utrecht with a home game against Sparta Roterdam.
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