‘Geertruida out for several weeks, not six’- Branthwaite and Obispo missing from PSV

Coach Newcastle United: ‘Botman fit after food poisoning’

Sven Botman will most likely return to Newcastle United this weekend. The 23-year-old central defender fell ill during the past international period. According to the KNVB, it was a stomach flu, where previously there was talk of food poisoning.

“Sven suffered a nasty bout of food poisoning,” coach Eddie Howe claimed at a press conference, however. “I don’t think he was the only one in the Dutch camp, so he left early to get back up to speed. He’s been training with us since he got back, so he should be fine.”

Newcastle United will play Sunday at home against Manchester United. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m.

FC Twente misses Pröpper against Excelsior due to pneumonia

FC Twente will have to do without Robin Pröpper in Saturday’s away match against Excelsior. The 29-year-old defender is suffering from a slight pneumonia.

Mathias Kjølø, Mees Hilgers, Manfred Ugalde and Michal Sadilek are also not yet fit, while Wout Brama, Denilho Cleonise and Daan Rots return to coach Ron Jans’ selection.

After a lesser phase, FC Twente managed to win the last two duels. Fortuna Sittard was beaten 3-0 in Limburg and AZ 2-1 in Enschede. “In those games we took a first step to set a series,” Jans said.

“As long as fourth place is in the picture, you definitely have to believe in it. Out of the last eight games of this season, you may lose points in one or two. It’s a pretty tough assignment, but we shouldn’t run away from that.”

FC Twente is currently fifth and trailing number four AZ by five points.

‘Normally we have Geertruida back within a few weeks’

Feyenoord coach Arne Slot does not expect to lose Lutsharel Geertruida for at least six weeks. The defender suffered a hamstring injury in the Dutch national team’s match against France last week.

It is unclear exactly how long Geertruida will be out. It was suggested that the footballer would be sidelined for almost two months, but Slot rejects that. He thinks he can still call on his player this season.

“We normally think of a few weeks in Geertruida’s recovery, if he doesn’t suffer a setback. But we are certainly not waiting a recovery time of six weeks,” Slot said ahead of next Sunday’s derby against city rival Sparta (kickoff 14.30).

The Feyenoord coach does expect to call on Gernot Trauner. The Austrian defender suffered a minor injury during the international period last week, but it does not appear to be too serious.

“We have to wait and see how he reacts to this training,” Slot said. “But the fact that he has joined in now is a positive sign.” The longtime injured Justin Bijlow and Quinten Timber are missing from the selection.

Van Nistelrooij: ‘Thijs had a good and spirited character’

Ruud van Nistelrooij paused at his press conference this afternoon to reflect on the death of press secretary Thijs Slegers, who died last Monday from leukemia.

“It came in hard. It is a hard truth that he is no longer here now,” Van Nistelrooij said. “I worked with him for a long time. He put together great as a person. He had a good and feisty character.”

PSV will play against NEC on Saturday with mourning bands and there will be a minute’s silence before the kickoff of the match. On Sunday, people can say goodbye in person at the Philips Stadium between 18:30 and 20:30.

Branthwaite and Obispo missing at PSV

PSV will be without defenders Jarrad Branthwaite, Armando Obispo, Mauro Junior and goalkeeper Walter Benítez for Saturday night’s away match against NEC (kickoff 8 p.m.). The foursome is struggling with injuries.

Coach Ruud van Nistelrooij says that Anwar El Ghazi, Thorgan Hazard and Joey Veerman, among others, are deployable. The latter dropped out of the Dutch national team last week due to a stomach flu virus.

With the absence of Branthwaite and Obispo, Frenchman Olivier Boscagli could get his first starting place at PSV since tearing a cruciate ligament almost a year ago. The defender made his comeback in February and has three brief substitutions behind his name since then.

A question mark remains behind the inclusion of Ibrahim Sangaré. The Ivorian midfielder only returned from international duty on Friday morning.

El Yaakoubi after criticism of refusing OneLove band: ‘Apparently not everyone is as free’

“The conclusion is that not everyone is equally free.” Footballer Redouan El Yaakoubi comes to that conclusion after a week in which he lost his captain’s armband at Excelsior because he refused to participate in the KNVB’s OneLove campaign.

“We advocate (in that campaign) that everyone can be there and make choices the way they want, but if I want to make use of those freedoms, then you don’t fit in, then those freedoms no longer apply.”

El Yaakoubi gives that explanation to Salaheddine Benchikhi’s YouTube channel. In a 20-minute conversation, he shares the necessary snark.

Hard-driving professional footballer flies with car into sports hall in Belgium

It looks like a scene from GTA, but it’s not a video game. Moroccan-Belgian footballer Sofian Kiyine (25) flew his car at full speed through the wall of a sports hall yesterday. The accident happened in Flémalle, near Liège. The professional footballer is out of danger, reports his club Oud-Heverlee Leuven.

No one else was involved in the accident, but that may be called a miracle. Shortly before the accident, there were still children in the hall. They had just gone to the locker rooms, says a local administrator, according to the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

‘Ajax goes for German technical director after Ward drops out’

The soap opera surrounding Amsterdam’s new technical director continues. Ajax was fully focused on Julian Ward, the ‘td’ of Liverpool, where he is leaving after this season, in the search for a new technical man, according to various media. But the 41-year-old English top candidate informed director Edwin van der Sar last week that he will not come to Amsterdam, according to De Telegraaf.

Ajax would now concentrate on Sven Mislintat, the 50-year-old German who was employed by VfB Stuttgart until last year. He previously worked as a scout for Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.