Ajax's De Jong to miss Lyon trip, Janssen doubtful

AFC Ajax have lost Siem de Jong for their UEFA Champions League trip to Olympique Lyonnais after the 22-year-old suffered a thigh injury while fellow midfielder Theo Janssen is a doubt after succumbing to a hamstring problem.

Ajax's 6-4 defeat at FC Utrecht on Sunday was painful in more ways than one for De Jong, as the Dutch international was substituted after four minutes of the Eredivisie encounter after tearing his thigh muscle while sprinting for the ball.

De Jong, who has featured in all four of Ajax's Group D games to date and scored in the recent 4-0 victory over GNK Dinamo Zagreb, is expected to be out for between four and six weeks. Such a lay-off also renders him a fitness worry for the matchday six visit of Real Madrid CF on 7 December.

Janssen, meanwhile, has sustained a hamstring complaint which will sideline the 30-year-old for a fortnight. The former FC Twente playmaker and last season's Dutch player of the year faces a race against time to make the journey to Lyon on 22 November. Ajax, fifth in the Dutch top flight after 12 matches, lie second in their UEFA Champions League section, three points above their matchday five opponents.