FC Midtjylland could be without up to nine players for Sunday's Superliga top match against FC Copenhagen due to injuries, illness, and suspensions. Manager Mike Tullberg faces a defensive puzzle but sees reasons for optimism with returning players and a new signing.
The team, sitting fifth with 11 points from five games, will miss two suspended defenders. Rasmus Nissen Kristensen is out due to four yellow cards, while Abdou Ndiaye saw red in the latest league match. Illness has also struck, with Victor Bak returning from international duty with dizziness from an unknown cause.
"We have to see how we piece the defence together. Whether we play with two or three centre-backs," said Mike Tullberg. He added, "It may well be that we don't have three centre-backs available for 90 minutes."
Yet there is optimism in Herning. Mads Bech Sørensen is back after a four-league-match absence, and Ousmane Diao is fit for his first game of the season after the international break. The biggest news is the arrival of experienced defender Andreas Maxsø, who has signed a contract until the end of the year. The former Brøndby captain has been without a club since the summer but has impressed in training.
"He has looked very good in training," Tullberg said of Maxsø, who trained with Sørensen and Diao on Wednesday. "They looked sensible."
The attack is also affected. Top scorer Cho Gue-sung is doubtful for the match, while Beni Junior and Mikel Gogorza are fully out. On a positive note, midfielder Hong Hyun-seok is close to his club debut after an injury-affected start, and Kjell Wätjen has recovered from injury. Record signing David Martinez has also shown promise in training after a short layoff.
With a recent form of one win, three draws, and one loss in the last five games, a good result against the league leader is key to keep pace at the top. Following the FC Copenhagen match, a home fixture against 11th-placed Lyngby on October 25th awaits as the team's next official Superliga match. You can also find all upcoming matches on our fixtures page.
The report in full is at bt.dk
