The Jupiler Pro League returns this weekend after a three-week break. The Mauves will face Cercle Brugge on Saturday, currently second-bottom in the standings. “But their position is anything but a reflection of the qualities they have,” RSCA head coach Vítor Bruno warned ahead of the game. Watch his full press conference on Mauve TV.
Seven Mauves players joined their national teams during the latest international break. “I couldn’t follow all of my players’ games,” Vítor Bruno explained at his press conference, “but I still followed almost all of them very closely. Within the staff, we divided the tasks to stay in contact with all the players so they felt that we were there for them, even when they were with their national teams.”
The coach saw plenty of positives during the latest international break, including Mihajlo Cvetkovic scoring his first goal for Serbia. “I was very happy for him. Danylo Sikan also scored for Ukraine. Ali Maamar made a lot of minutes. Lukas Ambros also played a lot and in different positions, while Oleg Reabciuk played three full games.”
The latter two players were the last to rejoin the group on Thursday. “Some of the internationals returned with minor issues. Noah Kalonji, Noa Ojea and Ali Maamar are still dealing with some issues that we need to take care of. We still have two training sessions before the game against Cercle, so it is not yet clear who will play and who will be fully ready.” Ilay Camara and Killian Sardella are unavailable, while Lucas Hey is available. Giulian Biancone is still recovering from his injury. Saturday’s game will most likely also come too soon for Andrew Omobamidele.
“Since the players returned to the club, they have worked hard. The more time I spend with them, the more I love them. They are doing everything they can to be in the best possible shape and be competitive.” The Mauves now have five away games on the schedule. “We won’t feel the same support as we do at the Lotto Park, but we prepare for these games as we always do, starting with the game against Cercle. The standings do not reflect the kind of team they are. They have a lot of quality and use interesting principles in their game.”
Kick-off for Cercle - RSC Anderlecht is at 16:00 on Saturday, 10 October, at Jan Breydel.