Tough times: Kjell Wätjen benched again for 90 minutes at Bochum | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund’s management had long been satisfied with the loan of Kjell Wätjen to VfL Bochum, as the 19-year-old was practically always on the pitch before Christmas. Currently, however, Wätjen is facing a tougher situation at the local rival and, for the second time in a row, did not get any playing time on Friday evening.

Wätjen, who missed only one match in the first half of the season due to illness and otherwise started in the lineup eleven times out of sixteen appearances, remained on the bench for the entire 90 minutes during Bochum’s 1-1 draw at Preußen Münster on Friday, just as he did the previous weekend in the prestigious 2-0 victory against FC Schalke 04.

Increased Competition at VfL

At the start of the new year, Wätjen was only brought on late in the game against SV Darmstadt 98 (3-3), but was then allowed to start in the following match at SV Elversberg (1-1). However, the youngster did not deliver a good performance there and has since fallen behind. This is also due to the fact that Bochum’s squad was noticeably strengthened during the winter transfer window and now offers more options, as coach Uwe Rösler emphasized after the match in Münster: “Compliments to my bench as well. What I was able to bring on was impressive. We have a really good level of competition.”

The path back into the starting eleven will not be easy for Wätjen, especially considering Koji Miyoshi, who justified his place on the right wing in Münster by scoring the equalizer, or Francis Onyeka, who is established in attacking midfield. Nevertheless, the opportunity remains open. After all, the U20 international has already shown his potential. In Dortmund, they will certainly be watching closely to see whether Wätjen can fight his way back into the Bochum team.

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