Ajax head to Croatia on Thursday to open their UEFA Conference League league phase against Hajduk Split, and the squad they take there is already stretched. Simon Adingra made his debut in Saturday night’s 1-1 draw with NEC Nijmegen after more than two months out injured, but he did not travel to Split because he is not fit enough to play.
That matters because this is not just another away trip. Ajax reached the league phase by coming through three qualifying rounds, and the visit to Split comes with the team still trying to steady a turbulent start to the 2026/27 season, one that has left them fifth in the Eredivisie with 15 points after eight games. Hajduk Split, meanwhile, arrive in strong shape after winning six of their nine league matches and beating Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 on Saturday night.
The absences are significant across the pitch. Daley Blind, Anton Gaaei and Steven Berghuis all stayed behind while recovering from injuries, while Caio Henrique is also unavailable after the problem he picked up against Excelsior before the international break. Míchel Sánchez had already said before the NEC match that Henrique would be out for several weeks, and that timeline now rules him out of the first game in Croatia as well. Kasper Dolberg faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, and Yves Bissouma is missing because Ajax could not register him in the Conference League squad before the deadline.
Even with those gaps, the expected shape of the team is clear enough to show how Ajax plan to handle the match. Marc ter Stegen is expected to keep his place in goal, with Owen Wijndal at left-back and Thilo Kehrer possibly moving to right-back. If that happens, Aaron Bouwman and Youri Baas should form the centre of defence, while Sofyan Amrabat anchors midfield, Davy Klaassen steps in at no. 8 and Julian Brandt operates at no. 10. Abdellah Ouazane is projected to start, with Viktor Tsygankov on the right wing and Tolu Arokodare leading the line.
The remaining question is not whether Ajax have enough names to field a side, but whether Sánchez sticks with the predicted XI when the pressure of the opener arrives. With Adingra still short of fitness and several senior players out, Ajax go into Split having already lost some of the depth that qualifying rounds can hide. Thursday will show whether the players available are enough to make their league phase start look like a step forward rather than another test of how thin the squad has become.
