Under-fire Ajax will be told to forget their league worries at the Amex.

The four-times European champions are in the Eredivisie relegation zone.

But they can put that to one side as they look to add to two draws so far in the Europa League.

Stand-in coach Hedwiges Maduro last night faced the media for the first time since stepping up after his former boss Maurice Steijn was sacked.

He appeared to be in positive mood is what was quite a lively exchange with Dutch media.

Maduro told The Argus: “Because it is a different competition, it is also for the players a moment to show themselves.

“Of course we want to play better but results are negative.

“In the Europa League we didn’t lose yet.

“Of course, the games were not good.

“Against AEK we could have played better but we still drew an away game.

“There is a lot of positivity about this league.

“We can still win a lot in this group.

“That is the spirit we need, also the belief that we can have a good result against a good Brighton, of course.”

Asked whether Jay Gorter, the goalkeeper injured in Sunday’s 4-3 defeat by Utrecht, would be available, Maduro said he was “going in the right direction”.