“A permanent danger” – Coach Trpišovský coy about Nigeria star’s availability for crucial Conference League clash
“A permanent danger” – Coach Trpišovský coy about Nigeria star’s availability for crucial Conference League clash
Nigeria’s most prolific youngster in the competition may miss his side’s biggest game of the season
Slavia Prague manager Jindřich Trpišovský has decided to keep his cards to his chest after refusing to confirm the availability of exciting Nigerian youngster Yira Sor for their crucial Europa Conference League clash against Feyenoord on Thursday.
Sor was Slavia’s most influential player in Rotterdam, scoring one and assisting another to help the Czech champions secure an impressive 3-3 draw in the first leg of their quarterfinal clash.
But the 21-year-old – as well as key defender Tomáš Holeš – was not included in the matchday squad at the weekend as Slavia whitewashed Pardubice 4-0 to go top of the Super Liga table with just two more games to go.
The absence of Sor and Holeš has ignited fears of an injury.
Trpišovský admits that the Nigerian attacker and the Czech international are among the Slavists’ best stars. But the Slavia boss has added fuel to the injury rumours by revealing that one of the two vital stars may not be fully fit for the crucial encounter.
“We firmly hope and believe that we will be able to use them (Sor and Holeš) because they are important players for us, as they showed in the first match,” Trpišovský told the club’s official website.
“I think that Tomáš was our best player after a number of excellent individual performances. Yira Sor is a permanent danger.
“We firmly believe in this, also due to the staff, so that we have the opportunity to intervene in the match. I think that one of them will be 100%, the other is fifty to fifty, and we will see it on the day of the match.”
Yira Sor was a relatively unknown quantity until he arrived in Slavia Prague from Banik Ostrava in January for €1.2 million.
But he has been a revelation for the Czech Republic giants, notching six goals and three assists in just five Conference League games.
Another three goals and five assists in 21 league games indicate Slavia may have unearthed another attacking Nigerian gem after the brilliant Peter Olayinka.