HSV reveal how Vušković's comeback is set to unfold! | OneFootball

One Vušković brother turned his back on Hamburg, but the other is set to be back on the pitch soon. Now the club is offering insights into Mario Vušković’s planned comeback at HSV.

“Mario will return 100 percent.” That is probably the most important sentence from the latest interview that HSV rehab coach Sebastian Capel gave to the Hamburger Abendblatt.

Almost four years ago, HSV defensive star Mario Vušković was first accused of EPO doping. The ban that followed will soon be over. All HSV fans are eagerly awaiting what is expected to be the comeback of the year. And it begins long before the first competitive match.

Next Tuesday afternoon, Vušković will be allowed to train with his teammates for the first time since his ban. The club is giving him the big stage for it: the session will take place at 3 p.m. at the Volksparkstadion.

HSV wants to break new ground

So that is the first training session. But what happens after that? Never before has a footballer returned to the professional game after a four-year doping ban. Vušković and the support team around him want to change that. Rehab coach Capel told the Abendblatt: “We have a clear idea of how we will manage his workload over the next few weeks.”

Officially, the center-back will be allowed to return to competition from November 15. But is that even realistic? Can Vušković do it?

“Absolutely,” the rehab coach said optimistically, adding: “Because it’s Mario, I’m totally convinced that he has taken great care of himself, that he has had good, intensive training, and that he will come back in top condition.”

The next few weeks will likely be decisive. The coaching staff has drawn up a complex comeback plan.

Medical check still pending

HSV’s planned medical examination cannot take place before Tuesday either. It is meant to provide clarity about his physical condition.

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But: fitness is one thing, football sharpness is another. In recent years, Vušković was only allowed to play football with friends and acquaintances or by himself. Taking part in team training on an official FIFA pitch was strictly forbidden for him.

So it is completely unclear how long it will take him to get back to the level of his teammates when it comes to duels and the like. HSV’s decision-makers do have a specific timetable in mind, but for now it remains secret — even from the player himself. They do not want to create pressure. That would probably be fatal, because after four years, one or two months will hardly make a difference.

The match in which Vušković would officially be allowed to play again at the earliest is the northern derby in Bremen on November 22 — a little over two months away. That would be a lightning-fast comeback, and probably not one to realistically expect.

It smells like a happy ending

No one can say with certainty exactly when the now 24-year-old will actually be back. But for his rehab coach, it is already a fact that there will be a happy ending for the center-back. “Mario Vušković will definitely leave his mark again,” Capel told the Abendblatt in conclusion.

The first step toward that happy ending will likely be taken on Tuesday. With Vušković’s training comeback at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion in front of numerous delighted fans.

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