"Berghuis' injury is a tricky one. It is the inner ligament of his knee," Van 't Schip said of his striker's injury. "Walking is fine, but when kicking the ball he is in a lot of pain. As long as that pain persists, playing is not possible. I assume he won't make it tomorrow."
The same also applies to Bergwijn. "Steven will not be there anyway and he is not yet down for next Sunday either. He may be there again next week: away at Aston Villa or else maybe against Sparta."
Intentions of Ajax
Van 't Schip was asked if Ajax will turn up with defensive intentions. One journalist even spoke of 'concrete football'.
"We don't want to give too much away anyway, you never want that," the coach replied. "We mainly want to build on what we are doing. What it will look like also depends on the opponent. They are quite strong, so it could be that we are going to be pushed back. But we will try to be on the ball as much as possible."
Van 't Schip sees the meeting with Aston Villa as a "nice challenge". "You only have to look at their place in the Premier League - they are fourth - to know they are very strong. In a lot of ways, it's just a good team. They are defensively strong and have experience. In addition, they have speed and are dangerous when play restarts. They can be constructive but also very direct. We will have to play very focused. If we lose the ball in places where we are vulnerable, it can become very dangerous."
FA Cup semi-final
During the press moment, Jordan Henderson also chimed in. The Englishman, of course, knows Aston Villa like no other. Does he have another showdown with the Birmingham club that is close to his mind?
"I have played against them 22 times, but the game I remember most is a lost FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. I have won more often than lost when playing them, but that is the one that hurts the most. Funnily enough, defeats always linger longer."
"Against Aston Villa, it is always difficult. That was true as a young Sunderland player and later with Liverpool as well. And it will also be the case tomorrow. I watched Aston Villa on television this week against Luton Town and they are just a very good team. Perhaps one of the teams in Europe with the best form. And I am a fan of the manager: Unai Emery."
