Kovac's Supercup selection puzzle: BVB coach spoilt for choice | OneFootball

The Franz Beckenbauer Supercup is the first real benchmark of the new season. On Saturday (August 22, 8:30 p.m.), Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich will face off at Signal Iduna Park. The match should show how well BVB’s new signings have settled in.

Niko Kovac (54) is spoiled for choice. “The squad is pretty full,” the Black and Yellows’ head coach said with satisfaction at Thursday’s press conference. Definitely unavailable are the two long-term absentees Emre Can (32/torn cruciate ligament) and Nico Schlotterbeck (26/ankle).

Waldemar Anton (30), Maximilian Beier (23), and Carney Chukwuemeka (22) had still missed the season opener against AS Roma (2:2), but they could get playing time against Bayern. Only Chukwuemeka’s involvement is still uncertain. “Maybe he’ll be an option for the weekend,” says Kovac. However, for some of his players, only the uncomfortable seat in the stands remains. “We’ll have to leave some out,” the coach announced.

The focus ahead of the Supercup is on newly signed Giannis Konstantelias (23) and Joey Veerman (27), who are immediate options for the squad despite having had little preparation time. Kovac confirmed that both new arrivals are likely to get minutes against the Munich side.

“Giannis is only arriving this evening and will train with the team for the first time tomorrow. Joey has only had two or three training sessions with the team. Giannis none so far,” said the BVB coach, who nevertheless left no doubt about the duo’s physical condition. “Even so, I know they are physically fit and have minutes in their legs. I see no reason not to include them in the squad,” explained the Berlin native.

Praise for Veerman

Veerman is “a similar type of player to Felix Nmecha, very secure on the ball. Someone who constantly demands and looks for the ball. That’s what we need in transition play from back to front,” Kovac said about the central midfielder.

Photo: IMAGO

Also new at BVB is Karetsas, though he does have one advantage over the Dutchman: he has already been able to gain important match practice in two friendlies wearing the Dortmund shirt. Kovac will not rush anything. At 18, the Greek can “still learn a lot,” because: “The step up from the Belgian league is a big one.” Kovac made it clear: “That’s why we will build him up carefully.”

It remains to be seen which starting eleven Kovac will ultimately send onto the pitch in the battle for the first trophy of the season. Ahead of the competitive opener, the BVB coach has plenty of options at his disposal.

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