Ajax Shake Up XI for Fortuna Trip After PSV Setback

Ajax head to Fortuna Sittard looking for an immediate reaction in the VriendenLoterij Eredivisie – and Míchel has not tiptoed into this one. The coach has ripped up parts of his team sheet after the 3-1 loss to PSV, handing out two starting debuts and leaving an experienced midfielder on the bench.

Marc ter Stegen keeps his place in goal for the match in Sittard, anchoring a reshaped back four. On the right, Anton Gaaei starts, while Thilo Kehrer is drafted in at centre-back. He replaces Aaron Bouwman, who is still recovering from the heavy challenge by Ruben van Bommel last week. Youri Baas lines up alongside Kehrer in the heart of defence, with Caio Henrique installed at left-back.

The real statement comes in midfield. After a brief cameo off the bench against PSV, Sofyan Amrabat now walks straight into the starting XI. He is joined by Jorthy Mokio and Julian Brandt, forming a new-look trio for the clash with Danny Buijs’ Fortuna side. The reshuffle pushes Davy Klaassen out of the line-up and onto the bench.

Out wide, Steven Berghuis gets another opportunity to nail down his spot on the right flank, while Oliver Edvardsen starts on the left. Through the middle, Tolu Arokodare leads the line, tasked with turning Ajax’s response into something more tangible than just a promise.