Míchel Sanchez Explains Selection Decision On Ajax Star Abdellah Ouazane

Abdellah Ouazane has made a very positive impression in his limited game time so far this season for Ajax . Ouazane has played most of his minutes so far on the left wing, but he can also play as a No. 10.

On the left wing, Oscar Gloukh has started in that position for the last three games. He is a player who constantly looks to make things happen, but his end product is often quite poor.

Julian Brandt has made the No. 10 position at Ajax his own and has been one of the standout players so far in the Eredivisie this season. He has scored four goals in eight Eredivisie games, and though he is yet to register an assist, he has created 28 chances, which is the most by any player in the Eredivisie, six more than Anis Hadj Moussa, who is second.

Most of Ouazane's minutes have therefore come as a substitute, and he has only started two Eredivisie games so far this season. Despite his limited minutes, he earned a call-up to the Moroccan national team in the recent international break and made his debut for the Atlas Lions.

Against NEC Nijmegen, Ouazane came on for the final 30 minutes, replacing Gloukh on the left wing. He once again looked good and showed glimpses of his quality.

In his post-match press conference after the game against NEC Nijmegen, Michel discussed Ouazane's playing time.

"He is an incredibly great talent," Michel said, speaking about Ouazane.

"As Ajax, we have the responsibility to give him plenty of minutes so that he can grow in his game. In my opinion, he still lacks a bit of consistency because Oscar and Brandt are currently playing in his position.

"So today it was my decision not to start him, but it is definitely our responsibility to give him plenty of minutes in the future. He is a great talent, and we have a lot of confidence in him as a player."

Ajax have several good options on the left wing. The club signed Simon Adingra to replace Mika Godts, but he only made his debut for the Amsterdammers against NEC Nijmegen, and prior to that game, he had not played in over two months due to injury. He played on the right wing on Saturday night, but is predominantly a left winger.

Gloukh has scored one goal and assisted four in the Eredivisie this season. He will play an important role for Ajax, but as mentioned already, his end product is inconsistent.

With Adingra still needing to gain match sharpness and Gloukh struggling for consistency, Ouazane should start on the left wing for Ajax in the coming games. He constantly makes things happen, and with regular game time, he will almost certainly score a lot of goals.

Ouazane has the talent to become one of the best players in the world, and Ajax need to make him a key player heading into the coming seasons.