Mathieu Acapandie will not be available for the first leg of the Conference League playoff due to an adductor issue, leaving Gonzalo Garcia to find a replacement on the right side of defense.
Hajduk will be without Mathieu Acapandie (21) for the first leg of the Conference League playoff against Raków. Index.hr has learned that the right-back of the Split-based club has an adductor injury and will not be in contention for the match, which kicks off on Thursday at 9 PM at Poljud.
Sportklub reports, citing Dalmatinski portal, that Acapandie trained separately from the squad in the last session due to adductor problems, casting doubt on his participation. Sources differ in their assessments: Index.hr claims he is definitely out, while Sportklub suggests his appearance is uncertain.
Acapandie's absence is a major setback for coach Gonzalo Garcia, as the young Madagascar international has established himself as a first-team regular since his summer arrival from Nantes. The French footballer joined Hajduk as a free agent in late June after his contract with Nantes expired, signing until the summer of 2030.
This season, he has made nine appearances, starting eight of them, and has also recorded two assists. His last outing was on Sunday against Gorica, where he started at right-back but was substituted by Garcia at halftime. Hajduk won 2-1.
This is not the first time this season that Acapandie has had physical issues. After Hajduk's elimination by Pafos in the Europa League qualifiers, Garcia publicly stated that the Frenchman had played with an injury. It is currently unclear whether this is the same injury.
Garcia will thus have to find another solution on the right side of defense for one of the most important matches of the season so far. One option is Niko Sigur, who has spent much of his senior career at right-back, although Garcia has recently used him mainly in midfield.
The Canadian international has played a large part of his senior career at right-back, even though Garcia currently prefers him in the center of the pitch. When extending his contract, Hajduk described him as a player who can equally well play both positions.
However, tportal.hr reports that Garcia will have to use young Luka Hodak in that position, who has not played much this season and conceded a penalty against Gorica over the weekend.
In addition to Acapandie, Roko Brajković will also miss the match due to a serious knee injury. All other players should be available to Garcia. It is not known how severe Acapandie's injury is or whether he will be ready for the league match against Osijek.
The first leg between Hajduk and Raków takes place on Thursday at 9 PM at Poljud, while the return leg is scheduled a week later, on August 27, in Poland. The winner of this tie will secure a place in the league phase of the Conference League. Through these two matches, the Whites have the opportunity to qualify for the group stage of a European competition for the first time since the 2010/11 season.
