Acclimatisation done: is Kaua Prates set to kick on at BVB? | OneFootball

In the summer, young Brazilian Kaua Prates moved from Cruzeiro to Borussia Dortmund. The versatile defender was widely seen as something of a bargain.

Prates is now 18 years old and has already settled in quite well in Dortmund. He has made three appearances for BVB so far: one in the cup, one in the league, and one in the Champions League.

He has not played too many minutes yet, though. That is also because Prates was already dealing with an injury in the summer and was unable to fully join training right away.

Acclimatization complete: Prates is ready

Of course, there was also the fact that, as a teenager, he is living far away from home for the first time. Naturally, there had to be a period of acclimatization, and that process is now slowly coming to an end. This is not about footballing matters, of course, but rather about his private, personal adjustment.

Photo: IMAGO

Prates has “arrived.” He now knows what to expect in Germany, what his new surroundings are like, and how the people around him behave. Now he can focus more and more on football. And that is fantastic news for Dortmund.

Because things have already gone quite well so far. And other new signings, including Joane Gadou and Konstantinos Karetsas, have already drawn attention to themselves.

Prates wants to earn playing time

For Prates, it is now about taking the next steps. That means he has to stand out more and more in training. He has to make a case for himself, practically force Kovac to notice him. If he manages that, then he will get minutes on the pitch, because after the international break, BVB will be playing practically every three days, starting with a home match against Werder Bremen.

Prates will be one of the rotation players, also because he can play not only on the left but also in central defense. With his naturally strong build-up play and his dynamism, he is absolutely predestined for this role. He can fill the dynamic role in a back three, but he can also be a slightly more conservative option as a left wing-back.

In any case, he is determined to establish himself in Dortmund fairly quickly. That does not mean he has to become a regular starter immediately, but rather a serious option who starts from time to time. If he succeeds in that, then the first major intermediate step will have been taken. And there are several signs suggesting that Prates is now set to become more important. Then it will be up to him to make the most of it.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.