HSV without Bornauw against Leipzig? Top talent set for full debut | OneFootball

HSV’s defense has been in an alarming state so far at the start of the season. The only problem: more issues could be on the way.

HSV may have to face the upcoming away match at RB Leipzig (Sunday, 3:30 p.m.) without Sebastiaan Bornauw – the key player in the middle of the back three and the nominal successor to Luka Vuskovic. After the heavy 0–5 defeat against Mainz, the Belgian has been struggling with persistent muscular problems and recently had to sit out team training. Whether he will be fit enough for the match in Leipzig is now set to be reassessed day by day.

And even though Bornauw has not yet reached the desired level and looked poor on several occasions, especially against Mainz, his absence would hit HSV hard. Even with the 27-year-old, the squad depth in defense is currently very thin. Warmed Omari only recently returned to the pitch after a four-week injury layoff and, if anything, is only an option for the squad against RB. Mario Vuskovic’s comeback is also still around two months away.

Photo: IMAGO

Polzin will likely have to reshuffle HSV’s back three

If Bornauw is indeed unavailable against the Saxony side, coach Merlin Polzin has only one real alternative left. At least under the very likely assumption that the five-man defense will be kept in place. In that case, Shafiq Nandja could get his chance on Sunday. The 19-year-old homegrown HSV talent made his debut on matchday 33 of last season against SC Freiburg, followed by another substitute appearance a week later in Leverkusen.

Since this summer, Nandja has been a permanent member of the senior squad. In the DFB-Pokal clash in Verl, he even started due to Jordan Torunarigha’s injury. He also replaced him after just 45 minutes in the recent match against Mainz. In an HSV side that looked utterly dismal, Nandja did a comparatively decent job. Polzin later explained the unusually early substitution as a sporting decision.

This weekend, the teenager could now play the full 90 minutes for the first time in his young Bundesliga career. The current starting XI trend is as follows: Nicolas Capaldo will defend on the right as usual, Torunarigha will take Bornauw’s place in the center, and Nandja will move into the left position of the back three. However, that idea is based on the assumption that Bornauw will not recover in time for the match in Leipzig.

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