Anderlecht received good news about Jan Vertonghen: “Medically the light is green, whether he plays against Ghent depends on him”

The most important question for Anderlecht in the run-up to the top match in Ghent: will Jan Vertonghen be ready to play? That already looks good, coach Brian Riemer explained today at his press conference. “Jan was given the medical green light, it depends on his feeling whether he plays against Ghent on Sunday.”

Does he play or doesn’t he play? That is the question for the top match against AA Gent. Jan Vertonghen dropped out in the match against Cercle Brugge last week, after which there was speculation about his fitness all week. Fortunately for the Anderlecht supporters – and the match – Riemer came with good news today. “Jan is making good progress. The scan was good and showed there was no serious damage to the ligaments of his ankle.”

“Medically, the light is green. He was even on the field today. Tomorrow’s training will be the final test. It completely depends on Jan’s feelings,” Riemer clarified. This morning, Vertonghen was called up to the national team. Then we wonder whether Riemer would like to see that Strong Jan who is in the starting line-up for two games. “Vertonghen is an ambitious player who always wants to be there. Let’s first see whether Jan, if he plays, can get through the match against Ghent well,” said Riemer.

Who will replace Amuzu?

There was less good news for Amuzu. This week it became clear that the fast winger will be sidelined for a while due to pubalgia. “Our medical staff has a plan in place for him. Francis should be fully available to us again within three and a half weeks. This means that we expect him back in the selection after the Brussels derby against RWDM.”

“Who should replace him in the meantime? First and foremost, Amuzu has a unique profile. In addition to his speed, he is also good on the ball. A one-to-one replacement is not really in our selection. To do this, we look at the team we field, the opponent and the tactics we use. In terms of speed, I look at an Angulo or Raman. Moreover, Flips, who is waiting for his breakthrough, and Degreef, who is very intelligent on the ball, are also good options.”

Watch out for overload Verschaeren

There was a final boost regarding Verschaeren’s situation. “Yari is training fully. He sprints and even does sliding tackles in training. This Thursday, in a practice match against Zulte Waregem, he will get his first minutes in a match situation. We just have to be careful not to overload him,” Riemer concluded.