Ajax Shake Up XI for Fortuna Sittard Trip

Ajax travel to Fortuna Sittard looking for an immediate answer in the VriendenLoterij Eredivisie, and Míchel has not tiptoed into this one. He has ripped up parts of the team that lost 3-1 to PSV and handed out two starts that change the feel of his side.

Marc ter Stegen keeps his place in goal in Sittard, the anchor behind a back four that has a very different look. On the right, Anton Gaaei is trusted from the first whistle. In the middle, Thilo Kehrer is drafted in for Aaron Bouwman, who is still recovering from the heavy challenge by Ruben van Bommel last week. Youri Baas partners Kehrer in central defence, while Caio Henrique is preferred at left-back.

The real statement comes in midfield. Sofyan Amrabat, who only made his debut off the bench against PSV, is thrown straight into the starting XI this time. Alongside him, Jorthy Mokio and Julian Brandt form the rest of the trio tasked with controlling Danny Buijs’ Fortuna. That reshuffle pushes Davy Klaassen down to the bench.

Out wide, Míchel sticks with Steven Berghuis on the right, giving him another chance to deliver from the flank. On the opposite side, Oliver Edvardsen starts on the left, with Tolu Arokodare leading the line as the central striker for the visitors from Amsterdam.

After the bruising in Eindhoven, this is not a team sent out to simply steady the ship. It is a side picked to respond. Now it has to.