PSV fans want a replacement for Ricardo Pepi and are pointing en masse to the one striker available.

Officially he is available, unofficially again not. He is considered a free agent, but is without a club. Due to his recovery.

Of course it’s about Luuk de Jong, who left PSV more than a year and a half ago but is currently going through life as a free agent. Officially, he is in fact available because he is a free agent, but the striker is not quite at peak fitness yet, although he is getting close to it, because it has already been months since he managed to tear his cruciate ligament in Porto.

And so his name, en masse even. Because PSV cannot make use of Ricardo Pepi for the coming period. PSV shares the news via its own club channels and that can be called a big disappointment. Pléa will only be available in just over a month and Sam Lammers has already been a PSV player for more than three weeks but is still not available. That too can be called a big disappointment, but that aside.

In that regard, Sven Mijnans and Guus Til are indeed the right options for striker because both are considered top-fit, but Ivan Perišić can still play up front in attack; he proved that earlier in the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal.

A second return for Luuk de Jong seems like a utopia, because the striker, as mentioned, is still not fit after his cruciate ligament injury. Pepi started in the starting lineup as recently as last Sunday in the away match against FC Twente (3-2). After six minutes, however, it was already all over for the American striker and the forward was forced to leave the pitch injured for substitute Sven Mijnans.

In addition, the American international also did not travel for various friendly matches with Team USA. Pepi, who was already heavily plagued by injuries last year, will stay in Eindhoven to focus on his recovery.

How many matches Pepi has to miss is not reported. But this is the latest setback for coach Peter Bosz in terms of injuries, and especially in the attacking third.

On social media, PSV fans are well aware of the outcome after this new setback. People are pointing en masse to Luuk de Jong. Just like a year ago, Bosz therefore has no fit striker at his disposal. It did, however, turn out to be the start of a glorious period of linked matches in which the tandem Saibari with Guus Til managed to perform excellently.