After five seasons at Sparta Prague, captain Lukas Haraslin concluded his time at the club following the 2-1 first-leg victory against Olympique Lyonnais last week. The 29-year-old midfielder, who had come on as a substitute in the 84th minute, secured a reported €5 million transfer to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Fateh, who currently sit 11th in the league standings. Haraslin’s departure marks the second high-profile exit from the club this summer, following striker Jan Kuchta’s move to Legia Warsaw in Poland.

Danish head coach Brian Priske, who suffered a 0-2 league defeat to Mlada Boleslav on Saturday with a heavily rotated squad featuring seven new arrivals, now faces the challenge of reshaping his team. With Haraslin unavailable, Josimar Alcocer—who impressed during the first leg—is expected to step into the captain’s role and maintain the same starting lineup for the return fixture at Groupama Stadium.

« We have a real opportunity to qualify if we repeat our first-leg performance, » Priske stated. « Lyon came to play their first match of the season on our turf—it’s never easy. They haven’t played since then, which is always a small advantage. I hope we can be consistent, especially in midfield. »