Fenerbahce have suffered a serious blow, with another defender ruled out of the Champions League clash with Liverpool
Fenerbahce Badge
Fenerbahce Badge
Dirk Kuyt will face Liverpool on Wednesday, this time as interim coach of Fenerbahce. The club appointed him on October 28, a day after Ismail Kartal left the job.
Kartal went after Fenerbahce lost 2-1 to Galatasaray in the Istanbul derby on October 26. Kuyt joined his staff as an assistant in June and will lead the team until a new head coach arrives.
Kuyt’s first match in charge ended in a 2-1 home defeat to Goztepe on Saturday. Fenerbahce led through Matteo Guendouzi’s goal in first-half stoppage time, but Sinclair Armstrong equalised in the 76th minute and Henrique scored soon after.
The result leaves Fenerbahce sixth in the Super Lig with 16 points from 10 games, nine behind leaders Galatasaray. It has been described as their worst league start since 2018-19, and injuries have added to the pressure before Wednesday’s Champions League tie.
The latest setback came in that Goztepe game. Centre-back Kojo Oppong pulled up in the 84th minute and was replaced by Yigit Efe Demir.
Turkish reports say the 22-year-old is not expected to play against Liverpool. Kuyt said afterwards that Oppong felt pain and signalled that he wanted to come off.
He is expected to still miss the Liverpool game.
Oppong, a Ghanaian signed from Nice in August for a reported €12 million, was making his first start for Fenerbahce in place of the injured Nathan Ake.
Ake hurt his hamstring against Slavia Prague on October 20, and the club expects him to be out for about three weeks.
Left-back Jayden Oosterwolde is also out. Marco Asensio is sidelined for about three months after knee cartilage surgery on October 21.
Milan Skriniar and the 22-year-old Demir are the only natural centre-backs left.
Fenerbahce have not won in the Champions League this season. They drew 1-1 with Roma and 2-2 with Slavia Prague, and lost 6-0 at Aston Villa on October 14.
Liverpool arrive with a perfect record. Andoni Iraola’s side beat Atletico Madrid 2-1, won 6-3 at LASK with a Bradley Barcola hat-trick, and beat Villarreal 4-3.
They come off a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, their second Premier League loss of the season.
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