Fenerbahçe’s Defensive Nightmare: Injuries Impact Key Players’ Availability
Under the guidance of coach Jose Mourinho, Fenerbahçe began the new season by strengthening its defense with the addition of Çağlar Söyüncü alongside regulars Rodrigo Becao, Alexander Djiku, Jayden Oosterwolde, Samet Akaydın, and Serdar Aziz. However, Serdar Aziz has not been included in the league and European squad, marking him as an unused option in the rotation.
Despite starting with five central defenders across all competitions, Mourinho included Yusuf Akçiçek, a young talent from the academy, as an alternative option.
Although Fenerbahçe had sufficient defensive depth, injuries disrupted the defense’s consistency in the first half of the season. In the winter transfer window, the club parted ways with Samet Akaydın and reinforced the defense with Milan Skriniar and Diego Carlos.
In a game against Erzurumspor FK in the Ziraat Turkey Cup, where Fenerbahçe won 5-0, the team faced bad luck with three defenders injured.
Injury Setbacks:
- Jayden Oosterwolde was the first to suffer a serious injury this season. The Dutch left-back, who had been frequently used as a central defender last season, will be sidelined for an extended period due to a cruciate ligament tear.
- Rodrigo Becao, who had no prior history of serious injuries, was also ruled out for the season with a torn ACL. After a tough season last year with three separate injuries, the Brazilian center-back’s 2023-24 campaign was prematurely ended.
- Alexander Djiku has suffered from a series of injuries, including a recent thigh injury. The Ghanaian defender has been injured three times this season, with an expected two-week recovery period for his latest setback.
- Diego Carlos, Fenerbahçe’s new signing, also joined the injury list, with a muscle injury during a match against Erzurumspor expected to keep him out for at least a month.
- Yusuf Akçiçek, the 19-year-old defender, also sustained an injury while filling in for the injured Diego Carlos against Erzurumspor, and he is expected to be sidelined for at least a week.
- Çağlar Söyüncü has faced two injuries this season, having been unavailable for about 1.5 months in total.
- Mert Müldür has also been absent from Fenerbahçe’s lineup due to an injury, which has sidelined him for two weeks, with no clear return date in sight.
Current Defense:
With the injury crisis affecting Fenerbahçe’s defensive lineup, the team is left with only Çağlar Söyüncü and Milan Skriniar as healthy central defenders. The club’s injury woes are making it increasingly difficult for Mourinho to maintain a stable defensive setup.
