AEK is entering the final stretch of its preparations for Saturday’s match against OFI in Nea Filadelfia, for Matchday 6 of the Stoiximan Super League. Spata is starting to fill up again with the return of the international players, and Marko Nikolić expects to gradually have most of his roster at his disposal, so he can ramp up the intensity and finalize the game plan for the league’s resumption.
The most significant absence on offense is that of Barnabas Varga, who had made an impressive start to the season and was one of AEK’s key goal scorers. With the Hungarian forward out, Luka Jović becomes the focal point of the attack, and the question is who will partner the Serbian. Zini is the most natural choice, though Nikolić has also considered other options, such as Aboubakar Koïta or Mijat Gacinović in a more free-roaming role, and even Petar Mandalo, as has happened in the past.
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Meanwhile, there is concern regarding the condition of Oleksandr Zubkov. The Ukrainian left his national team duties with lower back discomfort and is returning to Greece to be examined by AEK’s medical staff. Initial assessments do not indicate anything particularly serious; however, his participation in the match against OFI is currently considered extremely unlikely, as the team’s staff does not want to take any risks.
Upcoming training sessions will clarify the situation regarding the starting lineup, as Nikolić will now have most of the national team players available and a clearer picture of their fitness levels. For AEK, the goal is to return from the break with a win, despite significant absences on the offensive line, with the Serbian coach called upon to find the right balance and formation to fill Varga’s void as best as possible.
