Askou has departed for Toulouse and in his place is former Rosenborg head coach Alfred Johansson, who will take charge of his first competitive game as Motherwell manager on Thursday.
There will be no Watt to act as quarterback in this midfield after his departure for Samsunspor in Turkey's top flight. No Just either after the attacking midfielder's heroic display at the World Cup, with the New Zealander bound for Swansea City. And it looks like no Maswanhise, who remains injured.
The forward is also joined on the sidelines by a sizable list of players that has included captain Paul McGinn, Stephen O'Donnell, Jordan McGhee and Emmanuel Longelo, to name just some of them.
For such a huge match, it is not what the Motherwell fans who packed a jubilant away end at Easter Road on the final day last season would have been hoping for.
Yet there is optimism to back the 1/7 odds being placed on their team.
In a narrow defeat by Genk last week in a friendly, the game was closed out with a youthful Motherwell team that sparked dynamism and energy. It may be that some of them are called upon to step up on Thursday.
Johansson said: "We assess that day-to-day, right now, and today we'll have the last assessments, and then we will release the squad.
"I think they've shown the quality during the pre-season, both in training and games.
"And I don't want to obviously come across as naive where you put too much responsibility too early on too many."
The uncertainty has done little to put off Motherwell fans for this one against the Faroe Islands side.
The three home stands at Fir Park are heading for a sell out, with the potential for more to spew into the empty away stand.
A date with either Coleraine or HJK Helsinki is the prize on offer in the next round, but with so many unknowns to this Well team, supporters will be reluctant to think that far ahead.
"A committed team, intense, that are really brave to play out from the back and really offensive minded," Johansson said when asked what fans can expect.
"Hopefully, you'll see a lot of deep runs. Hopefully, you'll see players that are brave between lines to turn and go forward.
"I experienced Fir Park with 3,000 people in a friendly. To come here tomorrow with close to full stadium, if not full, I just can't wait to see that and feel that atmosphere.
"It's going to be a great experience, I'm pretty sure, after what I felt against Genk. I'm just really looking forward to experiencing that myself."
Image source, SNS
