Anderlecht hosts Westerlo this Thursday in the round of 16 of the Cup. A match that promises to be difficult, because Timmy Simons has made it a very solid team. In addition, Anderlecht will once again have to do without a key player.
Samuel Edozie’s ankle injury indeed seems a little more serious than expected. After the Porto match, David Hubert thought it wouldn’t be that bad, but since then he still hasn’t appeared in training. “He’s starting to run a little, but he’s not ready to train yet. Against Beerschot on Sunday? We’ll have to wait,” Hubert said at a press conference.
Good news, however, for Ludwig Augustinsson. The Swede will be part of the selection tomorrow. Hubert also lifted a corner of the veil on his starting eleven. Against Tubize, Mads Kikkenborg was still in goal, but… “Mads is training well and I thought it was the right time to start him. But Colin remains our number 1 and will play tomorrow.”
It is perhaps better for Hubert not to rotate his core team too much, because Westerlo is shaping up to be a tougher opponent than Tubize. The Mauves coach is aware of this, because he knows Timmy Simons well. “Timmy was a very good player who knew very well what his job was and could execute it perfectly,” agreed Hubert.
“He made the people around him better, and that’s one of the characteristics I find in ‘his’ Westerlo. He gives instructions that allow the players to express themselves best individually.”
The Cup is important for Anderlecht, because a trophy at the end of the season is the goal. “Westerlo are a formidable opponent. We have been warned. They have also been able to invest in a high-quality core in recent years.”
