Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at 11:07• Mart Oude Nijeweeme • Last update: 11:11

While most internationals have not yet returned from their holiday, Ajax is already fully preparing for the new season. Where the team of trainer Erik ten Hag easily dealt with Koninklijke HFC (6-0) during the first showdown last week, second division team Quick’20 (1-1) offered more resistance on Tuesday evening. Noussair Mazraoui came into action in both games and has finally fully recovered from the lingering eye injury he sustained in the game against Heracles Almelo last season.

Due to the eye injury suffered in February, Mazraoui was sidelined at Ajax for most of the second half of the season. Ten Hag could only call on him towards the end of the season. “You are not just sidelined for so long with an eye injury, because there was some damage,” the Ajax player says after the game with Quick’20 in conversation with Ajax Life. “I had a kind of blood clot in my eye and that put pressure on my retina. I was allowed to do little or nothing. The blood had to be removed from my eye before I could continue. Time had to heal things, so to speak. Now I no longer suffer and I can play football without risk.”

Mazraoui saw from the stands how Devyne Rensch filled in the right back position excellently. The defender made a strong impression and was even taken by national coach Erwin van de Looi to the knockout phase of the European Championship of the Dutch Juniors. Mazraoui is therefore not afraid that he has lost his place in the defense. “Luck must be with me now too, huh?” Mazraoui continues. “I am looking forward to next season in any case. Every time after an injury I come back very strong, because I am just really looking forward to it and I am super motivated. Now get on with it.”

Ten Hag expressed the hope on Tuesday that one or more players will provide a surprise this season. “This phase is ideal for bringing many young players along,” Ten Hag told ESPN. “To watch and judge them. Let them experience the laws of the first team. We hope there will be a surprise. In the first year it was Mazraoui, in the second year it was Dest and the third year Rensch. So yes, I’m hopeful. We have a lot of good players with us.”