Egnatia confirm Gruda and Sota unavailable for Craiova clash

Egnatia have confirmed that two key players will miss their upcoming UEFA Conference League fixture against Universitatea Craiova. The Albanian side faces the Romanian club on Thursday, November 5, in a crucial group stage encounter.

Striker Ildi Gruda and defender Eljon Sota are both unavailable for selection. Coach Nevil Dede provided an update on Gruda’s condition, stating the forward is expected to recover within a few weeks. Dede also noted that there are no other serious injuries affecting the squad beyond Sota’s situation.

The absence of these players comes as Egnatia look to build on their strong domestic form. The team currently leads the Albanian championship. In their most recent league match, Egnatia defeated Tirana 2-1, with Ibrahim Diabate scoring the winning goal in the 77th minute.

In European competition, Egnatia has drawn both of their previous Conference League matches. They played Midtjylland and Aarhus to draws, setting up this decisive tie against Universitatea Craiova.

Egnatia captain Aleksi Albano emphasized the team's motivation to overcome the missing personnel. He stated that the squad wants to dedicate a victory to the unavailable teammates, including Gruda, Sota, and Bakayoko.

Universitatea Craiova enters the match with its own set of challenges. The Romanian club faces difficult fixtures remaining in the Conference League, including matches against Brighton, Kairat Almaty, and FC Copenhaga.

Craiova’s history in this competition includes a painful elimination last season. They were knocked out by AEK Athens after losing 3-2 in a match where they had previously held a 2-0 lead.