The AEK players will have their first chance to… shake off the rust after about ten days of competitive action when they face Athens Kallithea today at 11:00 a.m. at “Ellinikon Park” in Elliniko.
Marko Nikolić won’t be counting on 16 players who are on national team duty, but today’s match will certainly serve a purpose, as it will give playing time to players who need it, such as João Mário and Babis Lykoiannis. After all, until the next break in November, AEK has many crucial matches to play across all competitions, and no player is… expendable.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
At the same time, Marko Nikolić will have the opportunity to try out several players from AEK’s U-19 team, who were called up to fill out the training sessions over the past few days. The Serbian coach praised the work being done in the club’s youth academies over the past few months and believes that soon the first team will begin to be reinforced by players coming up through the ranks who will compete for a spot on the roster.
The “yellow-and-blacks” will have Wednesday off and will then return to training to play a second friendly at Elliniko on Sunday against Panetolikos (11:00 a.m.).
It should be noted that the friendlies are not being held at the training facility in Spata (nor at the Allwyn Arena), as the field has been reseeded to ensure it is in perfect condition after the break, following the… wear and tear it suffered due to the intense heat during the summer months.
