Feyenoord coach Gertjan Verbeek admits his side will continue to struggle until their chronic injury problems start to ease.

The Rotterdam-based outfit have pretty much an entire team out through injury, with goalkeeper Henk Timmer and striker Jon Dahl Tomasson the latest additions to the treatment room.

Feyenoord's poor early-season form has left them lingering in 13th place in the Eredivise table, with just four points from four games, going into their clash at home to NEC Nijmegen on Sunday.

And Verbeek feels that, so long as the current injury situation does not improve, Feyenoord will find it tough to move up the table.

"We are hardly making any progress at the moment," he said. "A number of players are put in a different position every game.

"That's good for their education, but it doesn't make it easy to develop our idea of how to play football."

Verbeek's men have had little trouble scoring goals, bagging nine so far, but their defensive problems came to the fore again last weekend as they went down 3-1 to league leaders FC Groningen.

NEC have though endured a similarly difficult start to the campaign and are just a point better off.

On Saturday, defending champions PSV Eindhoven will aim to bounce back from their Champions League defeat at Liverpool when they host De Graafschap.

Huub Stevens saw his side's hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages of the Champions League dealt a major blow with their second straight defeat in the competition, but will fancy their chances against a team yet to pick up a point, or even score, on their travels this season.

Second-placed PSV lie a point behind Groningen, who boast both the best attacking and defensive record in the league to date.

Ron Jans' men have scored 10 and let in just two on their way to taking 10 points from their first four games.

Next up is a home clash with top-flight new boys ADO Den Haag, who have also enjoyed a promising start to the season and lie in fifth place.

Ajax and Heerenveen go head to head looking with both sides looking for a win which could move them into the top five. The two are currently level on seven points.

This weekend's Eredivisie programme kicks off on Friday night when AZ Alkmaar take on Sparta Rotterdam.

On Saturday Heracles take on Roda JC and struggling Vitesse welcome Willem II, while FC Twente travel to FC Utrecht and basement boys FC Volendam play third-placed NAC Breda on Sunday.