Fortuna Sittard will host an FC Twente side missing a key defensive piece this Saturday. Central defender Stav Lemkin is unavailable for the visitors, forcing manager John van den Brom to reshuffle his backline.
The Israeli international, who became a regular starter last season after joining from Shakhtar Donetsk, has been hampered by ongoing injury issues. He recently returned to group training after individual work, but a comeback against Fortuna comes too soon. "He is close to being ready," said Van den Brom, indicating Lemkin was nearly fit.
For the home side, the absence of a settled Twente defence arrives at an opportune moment. Fortuna Sittard sit sixth in the Eredivisie with 13 points from 7 games and are coming off a 1-2 away win at Genk. Under Danny Buijs, the team has won three of its last four league matches, making it one of the form sides in the division. The last meeting between the clubs, in March, ended in a 1-2 win for Twente.
Van den Brom opted for the central pairing of Max Bruns and Robin Pröpper against PSV and ADO Den Haag, with Ruud Nijstad at left-back. Against Telstar, Aske Adelgaard started in that role. The manager therefore has options, but lacks Lemkin's experience. For Fortuna, Bayram, Marquez and Oukili remain sidelined. The match kicks off at 18:45 on Saturday in Sittard.
Background and full detail: voetbalnieuws.nl
