Polozhani faces selection problems as Shkëndija travel to Vardar derby
Artim Polozhani will be missing at least four players for the Vardar derby on August 9, with European commitments later in the week.
Shkëndija will go into the big derby with Vardar on August 9, 2026 at 17:00 at the National Arena in Skopje shorn of several regulars, the club confirmed on the evening of August 8. Coach Artim Polozhani faces a depleted squad and will be unable to count on at least four players for the Macedonian First League (PMFL) second-round fixture.
Two long-term absentees remain on the treatment table: Babukar Gaje and Bojan Dimoski are still sidelined by injury. The club also announced that Sebastian Spahiu will miss the match, while goalkeeper Amzai is doubtful. As a result, Ramani is set to start between the posts; he produced a strong showing in Edinburgh recently.
Squad management ahead of a congested week
The coaching staff must now reshuffle their options across the pitch. With a minimum of four missing players, Polozhani will need to rely on remaining starters and squad depth to balance domestic priorities.
A further complication is the European schedule: Shkëndija have the return leg against Hibernian in the third qualifying round of the Conference League on Thursday. That fixture raises the question whether Polozhani will push for a win at full throttle tomorrow or instead "ease off" to preserve players for the continental tie.
Vardar arrive to the National Arena aware they will meet a weakened opponent, while Shkëndija's staff hope the absences will not determine the outcome of an important early-season derby.
Photo: press material from the event
