Kovač gives squad update before St Pauli clash: BVB trio ruled out | OneFootball

The roles are clearly defined. Borussia Dortmund has only one club ahead of them in the standings, while FC St. Pauli has only one behind. On Saturday (January 17, 3:30 PM), number two will host number seventeen.

Niko Kovač (54) will have to do without Ramy Bensebaini against the Kiezklub. After Algeria’s quarterfinal exit from the Africa Cup against Nigeria (0:2), the 30-year-old defender is already back in Germany, but will not be available against St. Pauli. A flu is preventing Bensebaini from playing, the BVB coach revealed at Friday’s press conference ahead of the match.

Aarón Anselmino (20) is also not yet an option. Although he has returned to training after his thigh injury, he still needs more time. Marcel Sabitzer (31) will also be out due to calf problems.

Karim Adeyemi is fit. However, the 23-year-old winger recently started the game on the bench. “I have tough decisions to make,” emphasized Kovač. In addition, Maximilian Beier (23) “did really well.”

Duranville on the Verge of Club Change

Kovač recalls the 3-3 draw in the first half of the season. FC St. Pauli has “a team that defends compactly for 90 minutes. That is impressive.” His team will need “patience, commitment, and intensity.” His demand: “We have to put pressure on the opponent from the very first minute.” Despite the table situation, it will be “no easy task” against the club from Hamburg’s district.

In the recent home match against Werder Bremen (3:0), BVB received some whistles at halftime. Kovač shows understanding. “If you lose the ball so easily, you have no actions in the box and don’t get forward at all. The fans feel that, it’s logical,” explained the 54-year-old. But in the second half, “it got much better, much cleaner.” His team needs to “build up from the back […] more seriously.”

Julien Duranville is on the verge of a transfer. The 19-year-old left winger has only played twice for the U23s this season. He has only been in the professional squad three times. “He needs to get minutes again, that’s important for him,” emphasized Kovač. “The competition for him here is very tough. We’ll see what happens by the end of this month.”

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