With the Brussels derby against Union just around the corner, our coach Vincent Kompany spoke to the press on Friday.
The coach started with an update of the available players. In the game against Cercle Brugge, Hannes Delcroix was substituted at half-time with a slight injury to the adductors and will not be ready for the game on Sunday. "It's nothing too serious, hopefully he won't miss too many games," said the coach. Marco Kana was not in the squad against Cercle. "That was rather precautionary, Marco is now training normally again." Christian Kouamé also rejoined the group today after being eliminated with Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup. "I am happy for Christian that he was called up to defend the colours of his country. But as soon as he was eliminated, he was of course on the first flight home."
Wednesday's defeat, the first since early November, has already been digested. "The circumstances of course led to that defeat," the coach referred to the early red card for Wesley Hoedt. "But I trust in our mental toughness. We've shown that a lot this season and that's really a strength of this group. If we keep that mentality, we will always come back. We just need to build on our form of the last two months and keep making progress."
The ambitions are also clear for the game against Union. "We are Anderlecht. We always want to win, against every opponent. And of course we want to secure that spot for the Championship Play-Offs."
What does Kompany, Brussels born and bred, make of such a derby at the highest level? "I am 200 percent in favour of Brussels teams in the first division. The real derby of the past was the one against RWDM, so they are certainly welcome as well. But I do want to win them all.”
