Blind reveals injury issue after Ajax stumble past Shelbourne

Ajax captain Daley Blind said treatment for an injury prevented him from seeing much of his side’s poor second-half display against Shelbourne. The Amsterdam club drew 2-2 in Ireland but still progressed to the Conference League play-offs, where FC Sion await.

Blind told Ziggo Sport, as reported by De Telegraaf, that he had travelled with the intention of winning. However, the central defender received a kick during the first half and said the discomfort subsequently became worse. He spent much of the second period on the treatment table, leaving him unable to give a detailed explanation for Ajax’s drop in performance after the interval.

The captain was able to assess the opening half. He felt Ajax had started reasonably well but were sometimes beaten by Shelbourne’s greater competitiveness. In his view, Ajax needed to remain calmer, play through the pressure with combinations and avoid giving their opponents encouragement. Blind nevertheless stressed that setbacks are inevitable and said the important task was to learn from the performance.

Head coach Míchel was also dissatisfied, particularly with Ajax’s response to Shelbourne’s defensive approach. He said his team struggled to create space and lost half of their duels in the second half. The coach called for greater intelligence and also questioned the side’s mentality, even though Ajax ultimately secured their place in the next qualifying round.