AEK Athens faces personnel shortages ahead of Volos match

AEK Athens is dealing with significant squad absences ahead of their upcoming match against Volos at the Panthessaliko Stadium. Hungarian striker Barnabas Varga has been sidelined for approximately three weeks following a muscle strain suffered during the game against Panserraikos. Additionally, right-back Lazaros Rota is unavailable due to a fresh injury, which also resulted in his withdrawal from the national team squad. Goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha is also noted as being absent from the team's selection for the fixture.

To compensate for these losses, head coach Marko Nikolic is forced to reorganize his tactical setup. Martin Georgiev is expected to replace Rota at the right side of the defense, while Brignoli will start in goal. For the vacant striker position, Nikolic is weighing several options, including pairing Zini or Mijat Gacinovic with Luka Jovic, or potentially deploying Petros Mantalos in a more advanced role. The team aims to utilize the upcoming international break to facilitate Varga's recovery, with the goal of returning him to action for the home match against OFI on October 10.