FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk vs Club Brugge preview - Duarte returns for Club Brugge

Posted Thursday, April 23, 2015 by PA

Club Brugge will welcome back Costa Rican defender Oscar Duarte for the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Dnipro.

The centre-half has not featured since suffering a thigh injury in the friendly against Paraguay at the end of March but could come straight into the team as they look to maintain their unbeaten record in the competition this season.

A goalless draw in the first leg in Belgium means an away-goal will put the Pro League play-off leaders in the box seat and Duarte is confident they can progress.

"I was obviously not on the field a week ago," he told the official club website.

"From the stands, although you could tell that the Ukrainians are a solid block, there are still possibilities to qualify in Kiev.

"Thursday will be a totally different contest. Dnipro need a victory - hopefully not with extra-time and penalties.

"They may play offensively and we can benefit from that."

He added: "Imagine that we really make it to the semi-finals. Then we can really say this is a super season because we are looking at the first prize in the 2014/15 season (domestically) more than before.

"I am, in any case, ready."

While Duarte could return for Brugge, fellow defender Bjorn Engels misses out with a knee injury while Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo, Felipe Gedoz and Thomas Meunier are all doubts.

Dnipro have even worse injury problems with Egidio, Ondrej Mazuch and Roman Zozulya all out and Matheus a doubt.

And while head coach Myron Markevych admits his injury list is a problem, he is not disheartened,

"Before this match, I am most concerned that during the championship we lost a lot of players," he told a pre-match press conference. "We have strength but not such a long bench to fully replace the missing.

"It is difficult to judge on one game (the first leg) where we are stronger than the Belgians. In general, our teams are about the same level. Like us, the opponent has pace and good strikers.

"I think the second leg will put everything in its place."