In addition to long-term absentees Vítězslav Jaroš, Joeri Heerkens and Oleksandr Zinchenko, García will be without three more players. “Kian Fitz-Jim and Davy Klaassen are not available, and Takehiro Tomiyasu is suspended,” said the Spaniard, who did have positive news about Youri Regeer. “Youri has resumed training with the group.”
Ajax last played a competitive match two weeks ago. García saw a dominant team in the away fixture at Heracles Almelo: 0–3. “We had control for large parts of the match. At the same time, we created several chances to extend the scoreline. The main conclusion is that we must maintain that level of focus and intensity in the remaining matches.”
Due to the cup final between AZ and NEC, Ajax had no league commitments last weekend. García described it as ‘valuable’ to have more time on the training pitch with his players.
"Yes, the period between official matches gave us the opportunity to work in more detail on various aspects of our game. The friendly against FC Twente was useful to maintain rhythm and give minutes to different players. At the same time, we used the training sessions to strengthen certain tactical components and improve specific patterns, both with and without the ball."
With four matches remaining, García senses strong motivation within his squad. "The general feeling is that everyone is very positive and determined. We know that there is still a lot at stake, and the team is fully focused on finishing the season as strongly as possible."
García expects a challenging evening in Brabant. "NAC are a competitive team that play with energy and commitment. Especially at home, where they have achieved positive results against top-four sides, except against PSV. We expect a difficult match and know we must perform at our best level. Our focus is on imposing our style of play on the match, controlling the game, and understanding what’s at stake."
