Jeremiah St. Juste Ruled Out as Feyenoord Faces Fortuna Sittard
Feyenoord will have to defend their place at the top of the Vriendenloterij Eredivisie without Jeremiah St. Juste on Saturday. The defender has been sidelined with an ankle injury and will miss the home clash with Fortuna Sittard at De Kuip.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst cut straight to the point in his press conference in Rotterdam-Zuid on Friday. “I know for certain that Jerry won't be there tomorrow. We hope to get him ready for next week. So he won't be in the squad,” the Feyenoord coach said, drawing a firm line under any late fitness hopes.
Kick-off in Rotterdam is at 16:30, with the match broadcast live on ESPN 3.
Injury blows and returns on the horizon
St. Juste’s absence is the headline setback, but the medical bulletin carried a few brighter notes. Shaqueel van Persie and Reiss Nelson are back in full training as they edge towards a return.
“I expect them both back next week. Whether that's against Inter or sc Heerenveen, we'll have to wait and see,” Van Bronckhorst explained, keeping the door open for a timely boost ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.
Gijs Smal, meanwhile, has been ill this week, another small complication in a period where the squad is being stretched.
Ernst in goal, López rewarded, Watanabe–Mármol at the heart
Against Fortuna, Tjark Ernst will start between the posts, tasked with anchoring a reshuffled back line in front of the home crowd.
On the right flank, Givairo Read gets the nod, while Javi López is rewarded for his impact off the bench against PSV with a place at left-back. His performance in that cameo clearly stayed with the coaching staff and now turns into a starting role.
In central defence, Tsuyoshi Watanabe and Mika Mármol will form the pairing charged with keeping Fortuna’s attack quiet and restoring stability without St. Juste’s presence.
Midfield balance and attacking intent
In midfield, Charles Vanhoutte and Oussama Targhalline will sit in the engine room, offering protection and control. Their job is clear: hold the structure, win the duels, and let the more adventurous players push on.
That platform is designed to free Gjivai Zechiël. With cover behind him, Zechiël will be encouraged to break lines and drive towards Fortuna’s goal, a clear signal that Feyenoord intend to play on the front foot rather than simply manage their injury issues.
Wide threats and Ferri through the middle
Out wide, Feyenoord will look for penetration and width from Anis Hadj Moussa on the right and Luciano Valente on the left. Both will be expected to stretch Fortuna’s back line and feed the central striker.
Leading the attack is Nacho Ferri, spearheading the league leaders’ frontline. His movement and finishing will be central to turning territorial dominance into points as Feyenoord aim to back up their status at the top of the table.
St. Juste will watch from the stands. The question now is whether this adjusted XI can keep Feyenoord’s momentum intact without one of their key defensive pillars.
