Anderlecht Hold Final Training Session Before Dinamo Zagreb Away Match

Anderlecht (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – October 9, 2026 – Anderlecht are preparing for their UEFA Europa League away fixture against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, 15 October, with the Belgian club scheduled to complete its final training session at Neerpede on Wednesday morning. The session will help the coaching and medical staff assess the availability of defenders Giulian Biancone and Andrew Omobamidele, who were absent from the matchday squad against Club Brugge last weekend. A medical assessment and an evening press conference are expected to clarify the travelling squad before the team heads to Croatia. Anderlecht enter the fixture seeking their first points in the competition’s league phase after losing their opening match against Lyon.

Anderlecht Complete Final Preparations Before Travelling to Zagreb

Anderlecht will use Wednesday’s training session at their Neerpede training complex to finalise preparations for their second league-phase fixture in the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League.

The Brussels club face Dinamo Zagreb at Maksimir Stadium on Thursday, 15 October. The match forms part of the second round of the competition’s league phase, according to UEFA’s published fixture schedule.

The final session is an important part of the preparations because the coaching staff must assess the condition of players before confirming the squad for the trip to Croatia.

According to a report published by Anderlecht-Online on Wednesday, Giulian Biancone and Andrew Omobamidele are among the players whose availability remains uncertain. Both defenders were missing from the matchday squad for the previous weekend’s fixture against Club Brugge.

The report said the medical staff and coaches would assess whether the pair were fit enough to travel. Their participation in the final training session and the subsequent assessment would help determine whether they could be considered for Thursday’s match.

No confirmed decision on either player’s availability was included in the report available on Wednesday morning.

Which Injured Players Could Return to the Anderlecht Squad?

Giulian Biancone and Andrew Omobamidele are the two players specifically identified in the pre-match report as being in doubt for the European fixture.

Both are defenders, meaning their availability is relevant to the options available to the coaching staff when selecting the squad for the trip.

However, their absence from the matchday squad against Club Brugge does not, by itself, establish the nature or severity of any injury. The information published by Anderlecht-Online did not provide a detailed medical diagnosis or a confirmed recovery timetable for either player.

The final assessment is therefore expected to be the key step in determining whether they can travel with the team.

For Anderlecht, confirming the squad before departure will allow the coaching staff to plan for the match using the players available. If either defender is unavailable, the team will have to work with its other eligible defensive options.

Nevertheless, the final selection should not be treated as confirmed until the club communicates the travelling squad or provides an official update.

The uncertainty surrounding the two players is one of the principal developments ahead of the match, but the available reporting does not establish that either player will definitely miss the fixture.

When Will Anderlecht Confirm Their Travelling Squad?

Head coach Vítor Bruno is scheduled to speak at a press conference on Wednesday evening, according to the report on the club’s preparations.

The press conference is expected to provide further information about the team’s condition and clarify which players will travel to Croatia. The coaching staff’s decisions following the morning training session and medical assessments will determine the final selection.

The distinction between completing training and being selected for a match is important. A player may take part in a session without necessarily being included in the travelling group, while a player’s absence from a previous matchday squad does not automatically rule out a return.

The club’s final announcements will therefore be necessary to establish the status of Biancone and Omobamidele.

The information available before the press conference does not provide a definitive list of the players travelling to Zagreb. It also does not confirm the team’s final tactical approach or the starting line-up for Thursday.

The immediate focus remains on completing preparations, evaluating the squad and ensuring that the coaching staff have the information required before the fixture.

Why Is the Dinamo Zagreb Match Important for Anderlecht?

Anderlecht’s meeting with Dinamo Zagreb comes after a 2–1 defeat against Lyon in their opening Europa League league-phase fixture on 16 September.

UEFA’s results list confirms that Lyon won the match 2–1. Anderlecht consequently began their European campaign without collecting a point from the opening round.

Dinamo Zagreb, meanwhile, drew 0–0 against Hapoel Be’er Sheva in their opening match on the same date, earning one point from that fixture.

Those results provide the immediate competitive context for Thursday’s meeting. Anderlecht will be seeking their first points of the league phase, while Dinamo will have an opportunity to add to the point collected in their opening match.

The match is one of eight league-phase fixtures scheduled for Anderlecht in the competition’s current format. UEFA’s published schedule lists Dinamo Zagreb away on 15 October, followed by an away match against Jagiellonia on 22 October. Anderlecht are then scheduled to host Salzburg on 5 November.

The league phase continues through January 2027, with each club playing eight opponents before the standings determine the next stage of the competition.

For Anderlecht, the Zagreb fixture is therefore an early opportunity to improve their position after the opening defeat. However, the outcome will depend on the match itself, and the pre-match reports do not establish any guaranteed result.

What Is Known About Dinamo Zagreb’s European Campaign?

Dinamo Zagreb entered the second matchday after recording a goalless draw against Hapoel Be’er Sheva on 16 September.

The result gave the Croatian side one point from its opening league-phase fixture. UEFA’s schedule confirms that Anderlecht are Dinamo’s opponents for the second round on 15 October.

The match will take place at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, the venue identified for the fixture in the published match information.

Dinamo’s position following the opening draw means that the club will also be seeking to strengthen its record in the competition. Both teams will have the opportunity to improve their standing through the result in Croatia.

The available reports do not provide sufficient verified detail to make definitive claims about Dinamo’s expected starting line-up, tactical plan or the condition of every player ahead of the match. Those matters should be established through official team announcements and the pre-match press conference.

The confirmed fixture and the first-round results nevertheless establish the sporting circumstances in which the two clubs will meet.

What Does UEFA’s League-Phase Schedule Show?

UEFA’s published 2026–27 Europa League schedule confirms that the league phase began on 16 September 2026 and is due to conclude on 28 January 2027.

The second matchday takes place on 15 October, when Dinamo Zagreb host Anderlecht. The schedule then lists Anderlecht’s remaining league-phase opponents and dates.

Anderlecht’s listed fixtures are:

• 15 October 2026: Dinamo Zagreb away.

• 22 October 2026: Jagiellonia away.

• 5 November 2026: Salzburg at home.

• 26 November 2026: OFI Crete away.

• 10 December 2026: Hoffenheim at home.

• 21 January 2027: Sunderland at home.

• 28 January 2027: Marseille away.

These fixtures illustrate why every league-phase result matters to the club’s progress through the competition. The schedule gives Anderlecht several further opportunities to collect points after the trip to Croatia.

However, the final standings will depend on the results across the full league phase rather than on a single match. The available information does not establish what points total will be required for qualification or how the standings will develop after the second matchday.

What Happens After the Final Training Session?

The next confirmed steps are the completion of Wednesday’s training session, the assessment of players whose availability is uncertain and the scheduled press conference.

The report from Anderlecht-Online indicates that the club expects the coaching and medical staff to determine whether Biancone and Omobamidele can travel after reviewing their condition. Further details about the squad are expected from the evening press conference.

Once the travelling squad has been established, attention will turn to Thursday’s match against Dinamo Zagreb.

UEFA lists the fixture as part of the second matchday of the 2026–27 Europa League league phase. The published schedule places the match on 15 October, following both clubs’ opening fixtures in September.