Jeremiah St. Juste Ruled Out for Feyenoord's Match Against Fortuna
Jeremiah St. Juste will play no part for Feyenoord on Saturday, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst confirmed his defender has been sidelined with an ankle injury ahead of the home clash with Fortuna Sittard at De Kuip.
The announcement came at Friday’s press conference in Rotterdam-Zuid, where the Feyenoord coach was clear about the timeline.
“I know for certain that Jerry won't be there tomorrow. We hope to get him ready for next week. So he won't be in the squad,” Van Bronckhorst said.
The league leaders in the Vriendenloterij Eredivisie kick off at 16:30, with the match broadcast live on ESPN 3, and they will do so with a reshaped back line and a goalkeeper stepping into the spotlight.
Injury concerns and returns on the horizon
While St. Juste drops out, there was more positive news higher up the pitch. Shaqueel van Persie and Reiss Nelson are back on the training ground and edging towards a return to competitive action.
“I expect them both back next week. Whether that's against Inter or sc Heerenveen, we'll have to wait and see,” Van Bronckhorst explained, keeping the door open for a timely boost ahead of a demanding run of fixtures.
Gijs Smal, meanwhile, has been ill this week, the coach added in his medical update, adding another minor concern to an already busy treatment room.
New-look XI for the league leaders
Against Fortuna, Feyenoord will trust Tjark Ernst between the posts. It is a significant opportunity for the goalkeeper, who steps in behind a defence that has been tweaked but not torn apart.
On the right, Givairo Read gets the nod, while Javi López is rewarded for his impact off the bench against PSV with a start at left-back. In the heart of the defence, Tsuyoshi Watanabe and Mika Mármol form the central pairing tasked with keeping Fortuna’s attack at bay.
In midfield, Charles Vanhoutte and Oussama Targhalline will sit in the engine room, anchoring the side and allowing Gjivai Zechiël to push on and connect with the forwards, driving into the spaces in front of Fortuna’s back line.
Out wide, Anis Hadj Moussa will operate from the right and Luciano Valente from the left, two direct options charged with stretching the Limburg side and supplying the front man.
That front man is Nacho Ferri, who leads the attack for the Rotterdam club as they look to protect their position at the top of the Vriendenloterij Eredivisie table.
St. Juste’s absence forces a reshuffle, but the message from De Kuip is clear: the leaders are prepared to adapt, and they expect the players stepping in to keep the standard exactly where it is.
