PSV are facing a major injury crisis in attack ahead of their Eredivisie match against Heerenveen on Friday evening. Manager Peter Bosz must improvise with summer signing Sam Lammers, long-term absentee Alassane Pléa and the injured Ricardo Pepi all unavailable.

The situation surrounding Lammers is particularly frustrating for PSV. The striker, who joined from FC Twente in the summer, has yet to play a single minute for his new club. His recovery is progressing slower than hoped, ruling him out of the home fixture. With Pepi and Pléa also sidelined, Bosz is forced to find creative solutions. The team, sitting third with 11 points, must organize their attack without three key goalscorers. Together they have already scored 4 goals this season.

Line-up full of doubts

Mikkel Bro Hansen has recently returned from injury, but whether the Dane is ready to start remains uncertain. In midfield, Paul Wanner is out for several weeks, opening the door for Noah Fernandez alongside the established Kodai Sano. At the back, Mauro Júnior is likely to return at right-back as Sergiño Dest returned late from international duty. Ryan Flamingo and Armando Obispo could pair in central defence, with Filip Kostic at left-back and Matej Kovar in goal.

The biggest question mark hangs over the striker position. Sven Mijnans could operate as a false nine, supported by Guus Til. On the wings, Ruben van Bommel and Ivan Perisic are expected to start. Bosz admitted the planning is tough. "Whether he can make the match against SC Heerenveen will be touch and go," the manager said about one player. "And Leipzig is just three days later…"

Context for Heerenveen

For Heerenveen, who sit tenth with nine points, the visit to the third-placed side comes at an interesting time. The team is buoyed by a convincing 0-4 away win at Sparta Rotterdam, with goals from Nolhan Courtens, Jacob Trenskow, Maxence Rivera and Marko Farji. That result provided relief after an inconsistent run of one win, two draws and two losses in their last five league games. The full standings show Heerenveen are ten points behind leaders AZ.

PSV's injury woes may present an opportunity, but Bosz warned of a general trend. He pointed to the increased injury risk due to higher intensity and a congested calendar. On Wanner he was clear: "We will certainly be without Paul for a number of weeks. Lutsharel's injury is not expected to take weeks, is the initial expectation."

Heerenveen travel to Eindhoven where the last meeting in February ended in a 3-1 defeat. Current form and the opponent's selection problems make this a prime chance to take points on the road. The line-up and latest fitness news can be found on our squad page. Kick-off is Friday evening at the Philips Stadion.

More detail at Soccernews.nl