HSV face selection headache: three top players for just two spots! | OneFootball

HSV has an abundance of qualified players in central midfield. But only one is considered untouchable!

In the coming weeks, Merlin Polzin will have to make one or two tricky decisions. In the Hanseatic control center, he has three top-class players at his disposal, but only two spots: Albert Sambi Lokonga, Nicolai Remberg, and the skillful Fábio Vieira are battling for a place in the starting eleven.

Vieira, who joined the promoted side with the highest expectations, came off the bench last weekend. After serving a two-match suspension and suffering a knee injury against Union Berlin, the Portuguese player collected 26 minutes of playing time against Wolfsburg.

During Vieira’s absence, Lokonga solidified his position. The Belgian impressed both as a goal scorer and as a driving force in the 4-0 win over Mainz and the 2-1 defeat in Leipzig. Against Wolfsburg, he was once again one of the standout performers and nearly scored the equalizer just before halftime, before being substituted by Vieira.

Remberg, meanwhile, is considered indispensable: After the match, Polzin once again praised the stability the 25-year-old brings to the team. As the only outfield player, the new signing from Kiel has not missed a single Bundesliga minute so far.

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The “problem” is clear: as skillful, intelligent, and technically gifted as he is, Vieira should theoretically be a guaranteed starter. But the current form of his teammates and the system with only two central midfielders makes the decision complicated. For Polzin, this means weighing up training performance, current form, and the tactical approach of the upcoming opponent.

The cup match in Heidenheim (28.10, 18:30) should give Vieira the chance to start again from the beginning. Lokonga could get a rest and rotate back into the starting lineup for the league match against 1. FC Köln (02.11, 15:30). In any case, Polzin is pleased with the newly ignited competition. “I’m happy that, thanks to the quality in the squad, I’m able to make such decisions,” the head coach explained after the Wolfsburg match.

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