Steven Berghuis didn't travel with them to Birmingham on Wednesday. In the press conference, Van 't Schip gave more detail about the absence of the Ajax player. "It's disappointing, especially for Steven himself. Even before last weekend he had trouble with his knee, but he threw his back out during the last training for Fortuna. That's why he isn't here."
Confidence
Even so, Van 't Schip and Hato look forward to the European clash in Birmingham with confidence. "I'm very confident about it. With this system, we can play a solid game. The lads have shown that they're able to execute well," said the Ajax trainer.
The head coach emphasised that Ajax doesn't need to be drawn into the 'hectic game' on Thursday. "Then the lines get pulled too far from each other. We need to be patient and try to keep ball possession for as long as possible."
"Aston Villa lost badly last weekend, so they have something to set right," Van 't Schip continued. "But we just need to play our own game and fight. We'll need to fight as hard as we can, stay disciplined, and hope for a few breakouts."
